Angelic Solitude I:The Fate of Innocence
by J.M. Tustison
Summary: They call her Winter... those that survive. A group of adventurers travel the silvery marshes to save their friend... from herself.
1. Prologue

"The heavens shall close and the light shall be bound to an obsidian altar hand and foot as it is shattered upon itself and remade anew. Thereafter death itself shall wander the world looking for company." 

_**- Dimble Al'gan Riel**__ (1450 DR __The Year of Holy Thunder_)

**Angelic Solitude I**

**The Fate of Innocence**

**By J. M. Tustison**

**Prologue**

A chilled wind slid through the shattered windows and sifted across the rafters of the Falcons Roost. It glided across the upturned tables and silent corpses strewn about the usually jovial and lighthearted tavern. A shrill moan passed through the blood soaked room as it passed, and the eerie flutter of ripped curtains put the one surviving patron on edge in his place of hiding.

Tam held his spot behind the bar, not daring to look over at the carnage. He was sure she was still around; searching for those that might be left. As he held his breath to silent gasps he stared over at the 1406 Calimshan merlot that had somehow managed to land right side up. Tam suppressed a slight chuckle at the absurdity of it all. What a thing to be marveling at a time like this. But then again, it had been a strange night.

It had started off as expected. The night gave way to a slow arrival of patrons all wanting to hear his stories and listen to his lute. After all, who could blame them? He was Tamshire Ravensage, the great bard of the Silvery Marshes! But alas, there was always some country lout who had to throw proper respect out the window and strike up a game of dice right during the best parts of his epic tales.

And then she came in. Few of the other patrons noticed her. A young girl, not even a few years into her high teens and less than five feet tall, rounded the doorway leading to the common room. She wore a cloak of the darkest black that for a moment seemed to writhe around her like a shadow. Her skin was smooth and white as the newly fallen snow outside, but it was her eyes that nearly held him in thrall. Indeed he had almost forgotten his next verse, and he would be cursing himself to Averus for months for even allowing himself to skip a beat in the flow of his recital. Her eyes stared at him curiously for a few moments. Their cold blue glare could pierce the hardest dragon hide and chilled his spine to the bone.

She stared for but a few moments and shifted her gaze around the room, as if she had been sizing up each and every single man and women in the bar. He had almost let out a sigh of relief when she moved to the farthest table in the corner of the room. There she seemed to watch the crowd with a childlike curiosity. Not an expression on her face, not a twitch in her eyelashes. If Tam hadn't known better, he would even have sworn she didn't blink.

But he didn't have time to focus all his attention on a single member of his audience. He was a master of his craft and he went about proving it. He barely even noticed as the lout who had struck up his rude game of dice stopped all play. It was only a minor annoyance as the bumpkin strutted across the room, took a seat across from the girl and placed his feet upon the table with an air of foolish bravado.

Now as Tam sat there behind the bar, trying desperately not to make a sound, he didn't think the whole event had taken all that long. No more than a few minutes at most. He remembered considering throwing his lute at the lout when he screamed. How dare he interrupt his performance?! Tam had glared over at the two in the corner with such indignation and contempt that it took a few seconds to see that the man was now flopping about the floor, his two legs eviscerated from his body just below the knees. The girl stood before the newly severed table, a single bastard sword held in her hand by her side. Her eyes, no longer simply piercing, seemed to glow with a royal blue light beneath her cloaked hood. She had stared out into the crowd with no expression or threatening gesture, yet still seemed to dare anyone to challenge her.

That's when the real show began. Not a single flourish of his hands or the octave of his voice could compare to the spectacle that ensued afterward. More than one or two adventurers had decided to catch his performance it seemed, and they wasted no time in putting their talents to test against this surprising threat that had sprung up among their ale and wine.

First a hulking man nearly six foot tall, and hefting a sword twice the width of Tams thigh, charged from the crowd, bellowing some foolery about Tempus and his might. He swung his sword from high above his head, scoring one of the rafters and brought the blade down with what looked to be enough force to slice through a dozen men. The girl deftly brought her sword to bare single handed and blocked the giant mans attack as if he wielded nothing more than a feather. The loud chime of metal against metal sung though the room and reverberated along the walls.

No one was more surprised than the would-be warrior. He stepped back for but a second, apparently giving her all the opening she needed. In one fell swoop she brought her sword through the air and stood behind him a moment later. The hulk cried out in pain as he dropped his sword and clutched his midsection, a giant gash his hands could not hope to cover bleeding from belly to back.

The rest of his comrades bolted into action. A slender Halfling darted under tables in an attempt to flank her from behind while an elvan woman drew her swords to cautiously engage the girl. Meanwhile a red bearded dwarf bearing the symbol of Moradin chanted his prayers while a gangly wizard released a spell that exploded around the girl in a mighty ball of fire. As the smoke cleared she stood untouched and unafraid. In fact she seemed not to have even noticed.

"What in the nine hells is it dwarf? Another lich? Some new form of Zombie?" The elf had asked, attempting to put a bit of humor in her unsteady voice as the rest of the patrons choose that moment to vacate the bar. A few made it. The girl moved with a fluid grace and speed that seemed inhuman. Everywhere she glided over the wooden floor, patron blood spilled. Screams rose in a horrifying chorus from the din of the small tavern in the Nether Mountains that night only to be dulled by the chilled winter wind.

The elf and dwarf had stood in shock as patron after patron fell in a matter of seconds as they ran for the door. A few smart ones launched themselves out the windows, a few of them even decided to use the ones not facing the steep cliff of the mountain.

Finally the elf had had enough and hurled herself at the girl, her swords raining down in a flurry of motion giving her prey that seemed to give her no time to counter. The Halfling moved up and launched a dagger at the girl with a sly flourish only to see it casually deflected aside by the girl's sword.

Finally with a simple dance of elegance the girl launched her own attack, seemingly oblivious to the elf's longsword streaking toward her shoulder. The elf's blade pierced the girl's cloak and leather armor, leaving it poking out the other side. Not a scream or twitch gave any sign that she'd even felt the wound. The elf had not been so silent. She howled in a frustrated scream of pain as the girl's sword pierced her belly. With a deft flourish the girl twisted her blade and sliced it though the elf's torso like butter.

Oh how the Halfling had wailed in hatred and loss as he charged the girl, even as the dwarf sounded his warning. The girl, still with a longsword skewering her shoulder, flicked her blade through the air three times before the Halfling, sending a torrent of blood and bone sailing around the room.

Tam had watched all of this in stunned silence from his stage across the room. Never had he witnessed such horror and carnage. Never had he seen such courage and foolishness as that displayed by the rapidly diminishing unnamed adventurers. This would all make a wonderful tale, despite being a tragedy, if he managed to survive.

It was that thought that brought Tam to his senses and told him to hide if he wanted to keep his skin. Quickly he drifted through the shadows, of which there were now many thanks to the wind blowing through the newly shattered windows snuffing out the few candles that had lit the room. Finally he came to rest behind the bar.

He heard and felt the wizard and dwarf meet their end. He suspected the wizard went first. The tavern had shaken with great thunder as he launched an unsuccessful spell. The rafters cracked and several supports fell, crushing the glass case behind the bar sending the ale and spirits, along with a lucky bottle of merlot, crashing to the floor.

The dwarf had apparently figured it all out... or so he had thought. Tam had to suppress a contemptuous chuckle as he heard the dwarf exclaim "Hold ye back, vampire! Ye not be able to wi'stand de might oh Moradin!" Tam could just see the dwarf in his mind's eye. Standing there full of indignation and brandishing his holy symbol as though it were the ultimate authority. Not but a few precious moments later Tam heard the dwarf cry out and a spray of fresh dwarven blood painted the bar. So much for the vampire theory…

Now here Tam sat. The frozen wind of the icy peaks whistled about the rafters, bringing with it a fresh hint of snow. Countless bodies littering the ground not but a few paces from his hiding spot. And the gods knew what kind of demon dancing about the place searching for fresh kills.

Tam listened hard as he tried to hear anything that could give away her location. Any creak of the beer and blood soaked floor. Any cry of a newfound victim wrestled from their hiding spot. He heard nothing but the endless wailing of the winter wind.

Finally after many moments Tam managed the courage to look up from behind the bar. As he expected he saw the many corpses of those who had less than a half hour ago been enjoying his lute and rhetoric. Of the girl, there was no sign. There was not a single footprint in the pools of blood saturating the floor. Franticly Tam's head swung side to side eyeing every nook and shadow in the room. Nothing…

Tam let out a sigh of relief and plucked the bottle of merlot from the floor. Using his teeth he uncorked it and began to hop over the debris and corpses to get back to his lute and other belongings. It was high time to be out of here and on to somewhere safer. Where psychotic young girls didn't spring out of nowhere and repaint the walls. He took his pack and lute, slinging them over his shoulder and took a mighty swig from the bottle. As he drank the decades old nectar he gazed into the bottle to see a bluish reflection that sent a chill reverberating down his spine.

Dropping the bottle he swung around to see the girl staring at him from the very doorway he'd first seen her. Her hood had come down, letting a long shimmering mane of silver hair blow in the wind. The elf's longsword was gone, replaced by a bare patch of untouched skin.

"Now, milady… I want no misunderstanding. I have no quarrel with you and mean you no harm!" He said through a panicked breath as he stepped back. She stared at him with those pricing blue glowing eyes. Taking a slow step forward she brought her sword out from beneath the folds of her cloak. She cocked her head ever so slightly and did the last thing Tam expected. She sang…

"_Come little Elm, and Dance with me…._" Her voice was pure and childish as she sang what Tam could only guess to be a child's nursery rhyme. "_Under the starlit moon tonight…_" She took another step forward, taking a jagged path around the debris and stepping over corpses. Her voice cut Tam deeply and sent shivers of horror though his mind.

"Now, now miss… there's no need for that! I mean you no harm! Just... just let me go on my way and you go yours... Please…" Tam pleaded as his back hit the back of the stage. He looked about franticly searching for a way out. He saw the support beams resting about the room. The whole building must have been a stray bird away from collapsing. Damn that wizard!

Suddenly Tam saw it. A length of rope that must have been a part of a candled chandelier wrapped around one of the support beams. The beam itself was certainly not being held solely by the rope, but if he was lucky the loss of the support would be just enough to send the roof crashing down. If he was quick enough he might make it out the window while she was distracted.

"_Come little Elm, and fly with me…_" She was almost to him now, still slowly moving toward him as if gliding on the air. Her voice began to reverberate along the stage causing the harmony of her tune to sound even more pure and childlike.

"_Where the angels sing and play…._"

He would have to move quickly. One more verse and she'd be too close for him to even think about making it to a window. With a deft motion he reached into his pocket for one of the many concealed daggers hidden there. One learned not to go unarmed on stage in a remote location such as this.

The dagger dropped to the floor as she moved faster than his eyes could fathom. Her sword skewered his belly, pinning him to the wall. Blood rushed up his throat and coated his shirt. Tears filled his eyes as pain coursed through him, and through the misty haze he saw her bring her face to nearly touch his. As she leaned in close she whispered her final verse.

"_Come little Elm, and lay with me…_" She twisted the sword, splintering the wood behind him and sending new definitions of pain up and down his spine. "_Before the glory of dawn…._"

"Enough now..." Tam gasped through the blood. "Do what you came to do Luv... I'll see you in hell."

The words seemed to take her by surprise. For the first time since she had stepped through the door and into his audience he saw true emotion on her face. Fear... Remorse… An aching pain inside her mind had suddenly flared to life and she was totally unprepared to deal with it. She stepped back, taking her sword with her. Tam fell to the floor and into a small pool of his own blood. In one smooth motion he brought out another dagger and flung it at the support rope. His aim was true, and the support cracked and crumbled as soon as the ropes support no longer held it. The whole building began to lurch and sway.

In a desperate bid for survival Tam grunted through the fire that had taken hold of his belly and jumped for the window. His aim was not so true. He missed by only a foot slamming against the wall underneath the window. As he hit the bottom he couldn't help but appreciate the irony. The walls and roof tumbled down upon his head. The last thing he saw before the darkness took him were those glowing blue eyes…


	2. Chapter 1

**Angelic Solitude I**

**The Fate of Innocence**

**By J. M. Tustison**

_Come little Elm, and dance with me…_

_Under the starlit moon tonight…_

_Come little Elm and fly with me…_

_Where the angels sing and play…_

_Come little Elm and lay with me…_

_Before the glory of dawn…_

**Chapter One**

**Elm**

**Present day: 11 Hammer, 1479 DR (**_**Year of the Ageless One**_**)**

Those that survive call her Winter. Her pure white and porcelain smooth skin matched the falling snow. Her cold blue eyes gazed out from a protective hood that she did not need. She did not feel the cold and her body seemed perfectly at ease in the frozen grip of the season. A single cord of silver hair tied with an azure ribbon framed the side of her face ending in a sapphire crystal that seemed to glow in the icy tempest.

The snow was becoming a nuisance. Already it was deep enough to reach her knees, slowing her trek out of the mountains. She was far stronger than her petite form implied, but even she had her limits. Seven days now she had been trudging through the fresh powder. Any sane person would have turned back after nearly falling off the mountain path not once, but twice. Winter had carried on, uncaring of the danger that lay before her.

Whether by luck or divine providence, Winter was finally coming down out of the mountains. As the lights of Sundabar drifted through the mist of the snow Winter began to question her decision to travel through the mountains. It had taken her nearly four times as long to walk the passes of the Nether Mountains than it would have to take the overland route from Everlund. Why had she been so foolish?

"_Because there would have been people…"_ She thought to herself. Most encounters with others never ended well. She didn't mind killing, but she just wanted to be left alone and the land would have been filled with curious people. So she had taken the passes within the Nether Mountains.

It had been slow going. There were almost no travelers or merchants along the road this time of year, but that didn't stop the native tribes of orcs from harassing the few fools who did. A few had even thought her to be easy prey but they had been easily dealt with. For over a week she wandered the labyrinth of rocky trails and cliffs until she met a group of dwarves. Thankfully they had been no more of a mood to talk than she, and in exchange for the little food she carried they quickly gave her directions out of the pass to Sundabar. It was then she happened upon the Falcons Roost.

Everything had gone fine until then, but she couldn't resist the temptation to see other people. They enamored her, those silly, curious creatures with their delightful songs and obsession with ale. She remembered the excited tremor she felt as she stood in the doorway to the wide room full of people. A delightful man with long raven black hair stood on the stage and recited a tale she swore she should remember, but couldn't seem to pluck it from her memory. She took a table in the farthest corner of the room so no one would notice her.

Someone had noticed her however. A drunken, brutish man sat across from her as she tried to watch the crowd and soak in the tale. She knew that if she heard a little more of it she would remember, and that was what her journey was all about. But she could no longer hear. The fool was talking so loud that the bard's words escaped her. She remembered feeling… despair... and then nothing. Blackness filled her mind and all she could hear was a voice… singing to her.

She awoke, sword drawn and standing among the debris of what was once the Falcons Roost. She tried to take a step forward and assess the situation but was surprised to find single splinter of wood the size of her wrist piercing her thigh. People from the Inn and the town nestled in the cliffs below had gathered around. Several were brandishing swords and glared at her with a mixture of hatred and fear… mostly fear. This was not the first time it had happened. Nor was it likely to be the last if she continued her quest.

Winter stopped for a moment along the path to gaze at the lights of Sundabar in the blurry distance. She absently rubbed the exposed spot on her thigh where the splinter had been. Not more than a few seconds after pulling it out the wound healed without so much as a scar. She hadn't even felt pain… She should have felt pain. She knew there had been a time that she did. And she had scars… oh yes, she had many scars hidden beneath the folds of her armor and cloak.

The villagers and their militia hadn't even tried to stop her from leaving. She simply walked out of the village before they slammed their gates shut and hid behind their precious wall. That was a little less than a tenday ago. Seven days and nights trekking through the snowy and treacherous passes of the Nether Mountains, neither sleeping nor eating. She believed there had been a time that she had needed to do such things, just as there had been a time when she felt pain, but those were days long gone if they had ever existed. Now she only slept and ate when the fancy struck her.

Winter plowed through the snow with renewed determination. She would reach the city just after dawn. With any luck that would be when the gates would open, and she could see to her business here.

Her instincts served her well and she did indeed reach the gates not long after the sun crested the horizon. The snow had ceased its assault upon the terrain but that didn't stop the wind from streaking past and blowing up clouds of white powder into the air. A pair of guards stood in front of the gates draped head to toe in fur lined armor and heavy woolen cloaks to protect them from the icy wind. They allowed her through with barely a glance, their expressions lax and wistful, giving away their dreams of a hot fire and a barmaid to share it with.

Winter heeded them even less as she walked past them and into the city. The city itself was covered in a blanket of snow and ice, yet Winter could easily hear the din of the crowded streets ahead. As she headed into the heart of the city she gazed in wonderment at the people going about their daily lives, oblivious that the people staring back at her saw nothing more than a stoic expression on her face.

She wondered the city streets for hours searching for what she had come to find. She was on a busy street filled with merchants selling various odds and ends when she saw it. Abruptly she began pushing through the crowd, knocking over several people as she did. Only a few gave more than a single protest after noticing the large sword strapped upon her back.

Winter came to the aged wooden gates of a large estate. Upon the gates a faded etching was engraved in what appeared to be dwarven, circling an emblem of a golden ox resting on a large warhammer. It was all diminished and old, the hinges themselves rusted beyond salvage.

Firmly she pressed her hand upon the gates and they slowly opened with a loud creak. Beyond them lay an open courtyard surrounded by several large stone buildings. Although age had long since taken its toll, the craftsmanship of the buildings was not lost on Winter. She admired the myriad carvings and cracked dwarven statues decorating the buildings. Few dwarves lived above the ground, but one had lived here. He had even had the foresight to put windows into his home, a feature she was sure had not been lost on whatever visitors he may have had.

"_What makes you think it was a he_?" Winter asked herself. She shook her head in confusion. She had no reason to believe it was a male dwarf that lived here… she just knew…

Slowly she stepped into the courtyard and approached its interior. There she found a large stone fountain built into a faded bronze statue of an ox resting upon a giant warhammer. Etched upon the ox's hide were dwarven runes depicting every possible meaning of strength, power and justice. Around the empty fountain were a myriad of worn cobblestones circling it and branching off to the eastern edge of the complex. There stood a large building decorated by stone carvings of elves and men standing side by side in battle, a curious find in the home of a dwarf. Also decorating the structure were countless ripped tapestries. Although not one was intact enough to know what they depicted on their own, Winter surmised that they were the battle standard of the Knights of Silver.

Pain erupted inside Winter's skull. Yes… this was it. This is what she had trekked so long and hard to find. Immediately she fell to her knees and gripped her forehead. The pain slowly subsided and she let out a despairing whimper. No! It didn't happen. It wasn't enough.

Desperately she got to her feat and rushed into the building. The door had long since rotted and lay half unhinged from the doorway. Winter hurtled over it and ran down the web infested hallway and into a large chamber. The only light that graced the room came from the hallway and gave the room a forlorn appearance. Yet despite the darkness she could see. In her mind's eye she saw on the far wall stood a fireplace, while the walls themselves were once home to countless weapons of different size and shape. The eastern door lead to the dormitories and kitchen, the west gave way to the masters quarters.

Upon the floor lay a mosaic of circles and lines. "The knight's wheel" as her master had called it. A shiver ran along Winters body as her still and stoic expression gave birth to a single tear. This was the place she first held a sword…

"_Yer not gonna charge blindly inta battle, squint! Focus, and yer blade will follow_!"

"_Whether I be a thief or no, it don't change the facts… You need me_!"

"_I've never been more proud of you, my daughter… Knight of Silver_…"

Winter grasped her skull in her hands and fell to her knees as the voices randomly assailed her mind. This was it. This was what she had come so very far to find. Herself…

"_Whether it be in this world or the next, I'll always love you… See you in hell_…"

Winter screamed in agony as her eyes flared to life in a radiant explosion of bluish light. Her hood came down releasing her hair to flow in the subtle breeze that managed to outwit the buildings walls. Her battered mind surrendered as the memory was forced from her shattered soul…

**14 Mirtul, 1469 DR (The Year of Splendors Burning)**

The gilded carriage strode silently across the plains east of the Rauvin River. The beautiful spring weather had given birth to a bountiful array of flowers and sparse trees across the countryside. The Rauvin seemed but a thin bluish ribbon in the horizon. Elm couldn't help but stare back at it in wonder as they made their way across the plains to the city of Sundabar.

She sat in the stirrups of her grandfather's most prized companion, Apnia, flanking the carriage and talking with its passenger sitting next to the driver. Apnia was far grander a sight than any mere warhorse. Her silvery coat felt like it was made of silk while her body was sleeker and more powerful than the Everlund stallions that drove the carriage. Although Elm would never have admitted it aloud, she was pretty sure the celestial charger was leading itself and not her.

"Look at it Galen!" She exclaimed excitedly. "It almost seems alive, doesn't it!?" Galen barely gave the fading river behind them a second look. For three days they had been on this journey together, and his nose had been in the same book the entire time.

Elm looked over at him, annoyed not for the first time with Galen's lack of excitement about this adventure. Here they were, nearly a hundred miles from home and all he wanted to do was read. Galen had been her best friend since they had first attended the academy in Silverymoon a few years ago. Dozens of times they had dreamed and played, pretending to be adventurers delving into some long forgotten tomb, or slaying evil dragons.

Elm gave a disheartened sigh and stared at the flowery landscape before them as they traveled. "So… Has the dragon eaten them yet?" She questioned, her voice dripping with sarcasm that went unnoticed by Galen.

"Not yet… It seems the drow has a plan to sneak past…"

"Galen you idiot! You could at least pretend to be interested in this adventure!" Elm proclaimed enticing an annoyed grunt from Apnia.

Galen looked up from his pages to regard his friend. She was a child like he, only one year older and not an inch taller. Her raven black hair wrapped in an azure ribbon to flow down her back and keep stray hairs from her face. Wild blue eyes that regarded him with such frustration they seemed they might pop out of their sockets. She was dressed in a finely tailored shirt and matching breeches. She almost never wore dresses when she could get away with it. Galen could count on one hand how many times he'd ever seen her in one, and those had only been formal occasions.

"And what adventure is there to be had?" Galen asked, returning his attention to his book.

"Plenty!" Elm protested. "Think about it! Here we are, in the middle of the untamed wilderness. Mountains on either side of us, who knows what dark and evil creatures could be lurking in them? We could be ransacked by orcs any second!" Elm teased hopefully. "Maybe even a troll!"

"This is hardly the untamed wilderness. Merchants and travelers use this road daily. We've passed several already and not one has the look of having seen anything. Besides, if this trip was at all dangerous your grandfather would have brought at least a guard or two."

Elm looked down, defeated by the truth of her friend's words. Her melancholy lasted but a moment, till she looked up with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Ok… two trolls… and a meadow sprite!"

Galen looked up giving her a disbelieving smirk. She stared back at him, daring him to contradict her obvious logic. Finally they broke into a fit of laughter, nearly falling from their perches.

"Careful what you wish for, daughter of Silvermane… Lest you not be prepared when you get it." Came a stern yet loving voice from inside the carriage. Elm looked down at her reigns humbly and replied "Yes grandfather."

Galen shook his head in wonderment. He had seen Elm argue with professors, talk down classroom bullies by the dozens, and even talk back to her parents when she could get away with it. Yet the voice of the man in the carriage could bring her to heel every time. Now that was power.

"We're within sight of Sundabar, Lord Silvermane." The driver proclaimed. Elm looked up and stared in awe of the city as it came into sight as they crested a large hill. Although it was by far smaller than Silverymoon and Everlund, Sundabar was a place she had never seen. She saw anything new to her as a wonder to cherish and experience.

The city itself was not much to speak of when compared to the magically erected giant trees, buildings and foliage of Silverymoon. But it was a prosperous city. She had read tales of the Sundabarian instinct for survival and independence. It thrived on its trade and reputation for the best in magical weapons. Mercenaries from all over Luruar could be sure to find work here, either private or as part of the regular army. Being so close to the Netheril border meant Sundabar had to stay strong, and it was in the best interests of the rest of Luruar to keep it so.

Elm stared with wide eyed innocence as they passed through the gated walls protecting the city. They passed through several busy streets and avenues, trough throngs of merchants selling untold curiosities and trinkets. Elm stared for minutes at a small goblin playing a bronze flute while a group of kobolds danced around him.

Finally they arrived at their destination. The carriage stopped before a large gate to what appeared to be an enormous set of stone buildings. The driver quickly jumped down from the carriage and gave his leave to Elm's grandfather before stepping up to the large gates. Elm couldn't help but attempt to decipher the dwarven writing etched around the emblem carved into the door.

"Where... there is… goats milk?" Elm asked Galen, who was also studying the writing from atop the carriage. Galen suppressed a chuckle. "Where there is strength, there is the hammer." Galen corrected. "You really need to work on your dwarven. You ever call a dwarf goats milk and it might just be the end of Lady Silvermane." He continued. Elm stared at him flatly for a few seconds before sticking her tongue out at him.

Seconds after the driver pulled the enormous doorknocker on the side of the entryway, Elm heard a muffled voice from the other end.

"Lord Marius Silvermane, General of the Knights of Silver, requests an audience with the master of the house." The driver replied to the voice. A second later he received a muffled reply.

The driver quickly returned to his seat atop the carriage just as the doors began to swing open. Elm braced herself for the loud roar such large doors would make in opening, but she heard not a sound. Whoever the master of the house was, he made sure that things in his house were always in top condition.

Slowly the carriage moved into the complex and into a large courtyard. Elm studied the immaculate architecture of the buildings but stopped short when she caught sight of the fountain. Water sprang from several spouts, enveloping the Ox and hammer statue inside in such a way that left Elm speechless.

"Elm, you plan to join us?" Galen asked, snapping Elm out of her daze. Both he and the driver had dismounted from the carriage and moved to assist its occupant. Quickly she jumped down as her grandfather stepped out of the carriage.

Despite his age, he stood strong and prominent. He always seemed a giant to Elm. His chiseled features and sharp eyes showed him to be a man of great intelligence and power. He wore an ornate jacket and breeches both baring the symbols of the Knights of Silver, showing him to be a general among their ranks. Only the mithril cane he kept at his side to preserve his balance gave any real hint of frailty, but Elm believed that anyone who thought her grandfather frail might not live to regret their mistake.

"Buwahahahaa! And to wat do I owe the honor of dis? Our Lord Marius, come down ta play wit us lower ranks?" Elm quickly turned to regard he who would speak to her grandfather so dishonorably. Several paces from her stood a red bearded dwarf that seemed to be made of nothing but corded muscle. Although he was only four and a half feet tall, just a hand taller than Elm, he seemed a mountain.

She turned back to her grandfather to find a rare amused smirk on his face. "Someone has to keep you dregs in shape. How else are we going to feed the horses when next we face the tide of battle?" He replied with as jovial a tone as Elm had ever heard escape his lips. She stared in bewilderment as the dwarf let out another burst of boisterous laughter.

"Aye, how will ye indeed?" The dwarf grinned as he closed the distance and put out his hand. Marius accepted and grinned as they shook. Afterward the dwarf looked down upon the two children flanking Marius from either side. "And who be they, ye got some awfully small guards there…" the dwarf teased.

Marius smiled down at his granddaughter and nodded, giving her queue. Elm immediately stood up strait and placed her right forearm over her chest and looked the dwarf in the eye. "Acheylà, màlla quèn. I am Lady Elminderelle Anya Silvermane, daughter of Lord Captain Marcus Silvermane. You honor me with your stars…" Elm said in as respectful a tone as she could muster, ending in a slight bow of her head.

"Whoa ho!" Exclaimed the dwarf. "The formal greeting of the Silver Court! An yer kin to boot…" He laughed before putting his own arm to his chest. "Acheylà, Lady Silvermane. I am Megrim Oxhammer, Master of the Silver Blades. The stars above me home be yours for as long as me hearth has fire" He replied, his words becoming more serious with every syllable.

"And this pup?" He asked gesturing to Galen. Galens face reddened. He didn't know any special greetings or honorary titles… He let out a sigh of relief as Elm came to his rescue. "This is Galen, my best friend from the academy." Elm proclaimed proudly, as though it were the highest honor in all of Faerûn.

The dwarf bellowed once again and slapped Galen on the shoulder. "Don't ye fret none, pup. I ain't heard the greetin of the Silver Court in over a tenyear. It brings a bit o' nostalgia te one such as I is all… Me thinkin tha was de point…" Megrim gave a knowing grin at Marius before turning to introduce the small gathering that had sprung around them. He introduced several of the stable hands who took Apnia's reigns and lead her and the stallions to the stables.

Finally he came to two others who had exited the same building Megrim had come from. A dwarven woman, stout and with near as much muscle as Megrim, and a human boy, nearly in his teens. "Dis be me wife, Magdah and me sole apprentice." Megrim motioned the boy to step forward. Without hesitation the boy approached and gave the same greeting as Elm and Megrim. "Acheylà, màlla mallèn. I am Kael'nor Al'mon, son of Ra'nor Al'mon. May the stars over our head shelter you for as long as our hearth is aflame."

"Bah! Ye showoff!" Megrim chided and gave Kael a soft thump on the head as Magdah also stepped forward.

"Greetin's honored guests… No doubt ye two have catching up ta do. Perhaps the wee ones would like a fresh meal after so long a journey?"

"That would be fine my lady." Marius replied. "But I'm afraid it will have to be no more than a slight snack. Elm will need her strength and a full stomach will hinder her."

Elm stared at her grandfather for a confused second before she realized she was being rushed into one of the other buildings. As she and Galen rounded the entrance she heard Megrim ask "So, wats wit the stick? Ye planning on goin fishin? Da rivers thataway! Buahaha!"

The interior of the building was no less ornate than the exterior. Every wall had a carving of some dwarf or another. Some in various battle stances, others sitting on thrones in silent contemplation. Magdah led them through a labyrinth of halls and into a small section of the building. She opened one of several doors and gestured Elm to enter. "No doubt your things have already been brought in by the stablehands." Inside Elm was delighted to find it to be a small bedroom. At last after days sleeping on a cramped boat and what would probably be the firmest cot she will ever lay on, she would be sleeping on a real bed.

With a childish glee she leapt through the air to land on the pillow covered mattress. "These will be yer apartments for da duration of yer stay here." Magdah said smiling. "Young Galen and yer father will be put in rooms on either side of ye. When yer done in here come to de kitchen and I'll rustle up something nice to take away yer travel pains." Magdah left the room, Galen following right behind her.

Elm studied the room for a few moments. Her luggage was already sitting near the wardrobe, piled higher than her head. Her mother had insisted she bring nearly every piece of clothing and jewelry she had. Elm hesitated before opening the small trunks. She knew that most of what her mother had packed would have likely been dresses of every color imaginable. Her mother had been trying for years to get her to stop wearing boys breeches and jackets. With only slight trepidation she opened the first trunk and was unsurprised to find it filled with exactly what she expected. No matter. There surely must be a tailor in the city that could make her a few extra pairs of pants to wear during her stay.

She shook her head in puzzlement. Her grandfather had said that he would only be here a week. What was her mother thinking packing over two dozen dresses? There was no way she would have time to wear them… if she ever wore any at all.

After finishing putting away her things she went to the next apartment to find Galen. She found him sitting on a soft cushion, reading in front of the fireplace. Although spring had already been month going, it was still rather chilly within the stone building.

"Sorry it took so long. Mother decided I needed a few extra socks for the trip." Elm said smiling as she sat in front of the fire facing Galen.

Galen took a second to finish the paragraph he was reading before he took notice of her. "Oh.. sorry.. what was that?" He asked.

"Nevermind…" Elm gave out an exasperated sigh as she stood and offered to help him to his feet. "Let's go explore the building... and I'll bet Magdah is waiting for us."

The stone halls proved themselves to be as confusing as any other dwarven home. In just a few short moments and several turns Elm had to admit that they were lost. Elm was just about to call out for someone before she heard what seemed like chanting from one of the rooms down the hall.

"You hear that?" Elm asked. Galen shook his head as he strained to listen. With Galen in tow she followed the chanting until she came to a small room sheltering what appeared to be a small shrine. On top of it hung a small mithril star with a single emerald in the center. Several candles sitting on a small altar beneath the symbol provided the only illumination for the room.

Slowly Elm ambled into the room and approached the altar, reaching out to touch the star. She couldn't help it. She felt drawn to it somehow. As thought she had been waiting all her life for this moment, and now this star was calling for her.

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" Galen asked

"It's a shrine to Corellon." A voice said from the hallway scaring Galen so much he jumped a foot into the air. Kael stood in the doorway with a stoic expression on his face.

"Is it yours?" Elm asked.

"Naw… This room once belonged to an elf who fancied himself to be a priest. Or at least that was what he wanted us to believe."

"What happened to him? Is he no longer living here?"

"Nope. He got into some kind of trouble in town and we never heard from him again. Last we heard he was heading west to Baldur's Gate. That was about a year ago." Kael replied as he strolled into the room and flicked the star.

A soft metallic ring reverberated through the room that sent a shiver down Elm's spine. She quickly plucked the symbol from the altar and held it in her hand. It was nearly as light as a feather and just a bit bigger than her palm. Immediately she closed her eyes as she felt warmth emanating from the symbol. It grew and wrapped around her giving her the greatest sense of peace and safety.

At last she opened her eyes to see Kael and Galen looking at her strangely. "You all right?" They both asked in unison. Kael gave her another funny look and reached up to push the hair away from her right ear. "I see… You're an elf?" He asked in a bewildered tone. Her ears were longer than a humans ear and came to a soft point at the ends. Elm gently swatted his hand way and looked up at him annoyed. "Half… as if it's any of your business."

"I'm sorry. I just didn't know… forgive my rudeness." He said as he bowed his head.

Elm nodded her head and smiled down at the palm sized star in her hand. "If you want that, keep it." Kael said, grateful for the opportunity to change the subject. "Master Megrim has been meaning to get all this junk out of here, but since this place is so empty he hasn't needed to. He probably hasn't thought about it once in the past few months."

"Aye, I haven't. And aye, ye can have that little bauble squint. I've no need of it and de foolish elf it belonged to probably won't be after it any time soon." Megrim said from the doorway. This time Galen caught himself before jumping. Behind Megrim stood Marius with a curious expression as he watched Elm smile happily and hang the holy symbol around her neck.

"Is it time for lunch yet?" Galen asked as he rubbed his midsection.

"Ye go find Magdah two halls down in the kitchens. She'll feed tha belly of yours ta burstin." The dwarf laughed. "But fer now, me, Kael and Squint has got some things ta take care of…"

Elm cocked her head in surprise. What business could she possibly have with the dwarf? And why was he calling her squint? Megrim laughed again and grinned. "Don't ye fret none squint. Yer kin here thinks ye need a bit o' blade trainin. We're just gonna see if it'd worth me time." He said as he pointed Galen towards the kitchens and led her through the halls and back outside and into another building.

This building seemed different from the others. Instead of dwarves it had carvings of elves and humans. Not a single dwarf adorned the walls. "This here be de Halls o' de Silver Blade." Megrim explained once they reached the center room of the building after walking down a long corridor. Across the other side of the room stood a large fireplace, cackling and roasting several logs of wood. The walls held countless racks of spears, swords, axes and every other type of weapon Elm could imagine. The floor was home to innumerable circles, lines and footsteps.

Marius leaned up against the eastern wall and stayed silent as he watched his granddaughter take in her latest wonder. Kael took a position within one of the smaller circles near the center of the room.

"This be the Knights Wheel." Megrim said as he folded his arms and looked down upon her while he pointed at a circle close to Kael's. She nervously moved to the circle, fearing what would come next. "There ain't nuttin outside this circle unless I say there is. Not me, not yer grandfather and not the fireplace." He said as he walked over to a section of the wall that housed a myriad of wooden weapons. He grabbed two swords made of bound wooden lathes and tossed one to each of them. "Your task in this test is simple. Hit Kael."

Elm nearly dropped the sword in shock. She had never held a sword, much less knew how to use one. Kael had been learning swordsmanship for the gods knew how long. How could she possibly stand a chance against him?

Elm began to shake in fear as she glanced at Kael. He had already assumed some kind of stance that Elm was sure meant her utter defeat. "I can't…" She whispered.

"Wat was that?" The dwarf asked knowingly.

"I've never even held a sword… I… I wouldn't know the first thing to do with it."

"Oh really… wats to understand? You either whack Kael upside his head with it or he'll do the same to you…" Elm felt her fear reach new heights. Not only would she have to get past his blade, but also watch to make sure he didn't hit her with it?!

"Elm!" Her grandfather yelled from the other side of the room. He stood there stoically, as she humbly looked his direction and felt his unsaid words. He expected her to at least try. Whether she succeeded or not wasn't the point. She had to give it her best shot.

Elm turned back to Kael with a sliver of renewed courage. How hard could these things hurt anyway? They were just wooden sticks after all. Megrim clapped his hands and grinned "Alright then. On the count of three, beat the snot outta one another…! Three!" Megrim exclaimed with glee and moved out of the circle.

Elm wasn't as ready as she would have liked. Kael moved through the air too fast for her to react and landed a blow to her right shoulder. She cried out as the lathes sting made its presence known. Kael stepped back a few paces and assumed a defensive stance as Elm fell to the floor, dropping her sword and cradling her shoulder. She glared at him with a mixture of anger and determination.

Slowly she returned to her feet, sword in hand. Willing the stining pain in her shoulder away she launched herself as quickly as she could muster and swung her sword with all the strength she had. He easily dodged to the left and landed a blow on her midsection just below the arm. Once again she dropped the sword and fell to her knees. A soft sob escaped her lips as she looked down on the floor, afraid to look up at her grandfather and see his disappointment.

This is why he had brought her along. Her mother and father had insisted she go to the academy to learn the basics so she might one day learn the wizardly arts. He had adamantly argued that she was destined to be a warrior, not some over pampered bookworm. He had brought her here hoping to prove to her parents once and for all that her destiny lay in the sword and not the wand. She felt so ashamed of herself.

"Come on now. Nobody becomes a master after the first try, but I know you can do better than that." Kael said encouragingly. "You just put too much power behind your attack is all. Get up and try it again." Elm looked up to find his hand outstretched to help her to her feet. She forced a smile and took his hand. Once she had her sword back in hand he once again stood back and waited.

"Don't think so much as feel it." Elm nodded her head and readied herself. After several seconds she closed her eyes and once again launched an attack. Kael easily blocked it and shoved her backwards onto her rear.

Megrim let out an exasperated sigh. "Yer not gonna charge blindly inta battle, squint! Focus, and yer blade will follow! This is yer last chance. Either hit him or go home."

Elm grimaced with embarrassment as she got herself to her feet. Kael once again stood several paces from her changing his stance. As she studied his form looking for openings she unconsciously fingered the mithril star around her neck. Suddenly she felt the warmth again. Only stronger and more focused. From it she found a new form of strength.

Without reservation she released the star and brought her sword up with both hands. She kept the star in her thoughts, and as she moved she surrendered herself to its power. As she lifted her wooden sword in the air she felt the power of Corellon rush through her and into the wooden sword. Her blade became a radiant beacon of golden light as it flowed through the air.

A surprised Kael brought he sword up to block instinctively. After five years of Master Megrim's teachings he was far from a novice, but he'd never seen any technique that matched whatever it was that Elm was doing. His face widened further in shock as her wooden sword shattered through his and collided with his nose, sending a small gush of blood sail through the air.

Kael fell backward to the ground covering his nose as Elm dropped her sword and clutched the star. She felt Corellon in every part of her now. His strength was now her strength. From this day on, she knew she would be is instrument.

Megrim and Marius looked on in surprise. Finally Megrim bellowed out a gleeful laugh as he approached her. "Sorry Marius… But I'm afraid she just doesn't have what it takes to be a warrior… What you got here… is a Paladin!"

**Present day: 11 Nightal, 1479 DR (**_**Year of the Ageless One**_**)**

Winter sluggishly raised her head. She sat in the middle of the room. Night had long since covered the world in shadow shrouding the room in pitch black darkness. She could see none the less and raised her hand to her neck searching for a symbol that was no longer there. Again a tear left her cheek as she felt a profound sense of loss. She had journeyed here to find answers and found only more questions. For the first time in the two years she could remember, she cried.

Endless moments later a light came from behind her in the hallway. It came from a stout figure carrying a single torch in one hand and brandishing a greataxe in the other. "I don't know who ye are, but yer tresspassin." The figure said a husky yet feminine voice as she slowly circled Winter.

Winters tear soaked face remained stoic and uncaring as the woman came closer. She suddenly dropped her axe and gasped in shock. "Elm…?"

She never even saw Winter draw her sword…


	3. Chapter 2

**Angelic Solitude**

**Fate of Innocence**

"_The darkness shall serve the light."_

"_Ever shall it learn the path."_

"_To ready itself for the coming dawn."_

"_As time draws closer with each breath."_

"_Such is the fate of innocence."_

**- Dimble Al'gan Riel **

(1450 DR _The Year of Holy Thunder_)

**Chapter Two**

**Eve**

**Kythorn 12th: 1471 DR (**The Year of the Plagued Lords)

(Eight years before the massacre of Falcons Roost)

"You're a walking cliché. You know that right?" Eve asked her companion from across the booth. She grinned mischievously at the small goblin as he smacked away at a drumstick nearly as large as his plate. Grom's eyes narrowed in return as he took as large a bite as his small mouth could handle.

The roar of the crowd inside the Dragons Bounty did little to mask the slurping and smacking Grom made as he tore into the meat. Sounds Eve was sure he was making simply to annoy her. In truth, despite his monstrous appearance, Grom was nothing like most goblins. His eyes betrayed intelligence far beyond any member of his race that Eve had made the unfortunate pleasure of meeting. His skills as a tracker and scout, not to mention his uncanny skill with a blade, would have made him the leader of any tribe this side of the Nether Mountains.

Also unlike other goblins his skin, nearly as black as her own, had a grayish hint that gave it charcoal like texture. His silvery hair was pulled back into a ponytail that hung loosely down his back while short chops framed his face. Eye's as blue as the sky regarded her with an intelligence that was unsettling to anyone thinking they were dealing with one of his green skinned cousins.

She herself was something of an outcast here in the tiny tavern. Despite being in one of the few shadowy corners of Silverymoon, her kind was feared even by those who would openly call themselves evil. Although her face was shadowed by a large hood, her dark hands betrayed the unique color of her heritage. Beneath her hood her snow white hair hung down to her shoulders framing a pixyish face with kind violet eyes and a button nose. Her black skin had a purplish hint to it and had gotten her into more than a little bit of trouble over the years. Thankfully, drow elves were about as uncommon as it gets in the city the region called "The Gem of the North" but that also made it harder to go unnoticed.

Eve regarded the crowd bustling around them as she unconsciously picked at her plate. Despite its sanguine reputation even the great city of Silverymoon had its share of dregs, but only a few places for them to hide when the streets weren't kind to those that preferred the shadows. The Dragons Bounty was such a spot. The bar was filled almost to bursting with humans, halflings, and even the occasional elf and dwarf. Around the room Eve spotted the brooding toughs, half orcs all, that were meant to keep the peace, as well as a few cutpurses who silently made their way through the crowd looking for an easy mark.

Finally out of the crowd a diminutive figure approached the booth and sat next to Eve. She was a small blonde halfling wearing a leather armor jacket and a mithral unicorn amulet adorning her neck. Although not nearly as small as Grom, Kezzlit could have easily passed for a human child to one who didn't take the time to scrutinize further. Her face betrayed an innocence that Eve sometimes wondered was real, or just a façade she put on to put others off their guard.

"Did you find him?" Eve asked as she slid a mug of ale over across the table. Kezzlit picked up the mug gleefully with both hands and lifted it to her lips to chug. With a fury that would have done a dwarf proud she put away almost half the mug before coming out for air. With a profound gasp of satisfaction she set it back down again and smirked victoriously. "Yup… Playing a lute at the Fang and Sword. He's been waiting for us. Says we're late and we better be prepared to pay extra." She teased.

"Hmph…" Eve replied as she sipped her own ale. A heartbeat later the subject of their conversation made his own appearance out of the crowd. He was a tall man with more than a few grey hairs mingling with the black ones. A lute and backpack strapped across his back and the several daggers sheathed into his belt gave him the impression of a man ready to be on the road at a moment's notice. An absurd wide brimmed hat with a large white feather plume completed his appearance.

He removed the hat in a flourish and bowed low. "Tamshire Ravensage, at your service m'lady." He said eloquently. "You may call me Tam." He finished as he took a chair on the outer side of the booth and returned his hat to its resting place. Eve smiled at him from the folds of her hood. "Eve Dev'ah, and this is my companion Grom. You've already met Kezzlit." She said as she motioned to each of him. Kezzlit grinned at him as she took another swig from her mug. Grom seemed not to even notice Tam's presence as he nibbled the last remaining bits of meat from his drumstick.

"Charmed..." Tam replied unconvincingly as he stared down at the little goblin with contempt. He reached into the folds of his leather jacket and produced a letter sealed in red wax. He tossed it across the table in front of Eve and leaned forward. "Everything you need is in there. Although it was hoped you would be able to hit them before they had made it halfway here. As it is now, you'll be lucky if you can reach them before they're a day out from the city. Be sure and watch for patrols." Tam smirked.

Eve gave a cursory nod as she examined the seal. It was unbroken and bore the crest of the Obsidian Assembly, twin daggers piercing an open mouthed skull. She quickly broke the seal and examined the letters contents. "It doesn't say what exactly the package is…" Eve finally said with a tinge of annoyance in her voice.

"From what I hear you've been doing this long enough to know that whatever information you're not given, not knowing it what will probably be what keeps you alive long enough to move on to the next job." Tam replied sarcastically.

"Where is Ruk now? It says here his men will be assisting me."

"His men are waiting just outside of town in the usual spot. Ruk himself apparently has more pressing matters to attend to."

Eve glared at him from across the table. There were an awful lot of strange variables for a simple snatch and grab. For one, she and her friends weren't late. They had only received notice of the job a couple days ago and were told to meet Tam here this morning in this very tavern. They had waited half the day before Eve had sent Kezzlit to check the other taverns. Second, the letter before her gave an awful sparse account for the guards protecting the package. If this parcel was valuable enough to hire her to swipe it, it must be well guarded. And then there was Ruk. She had known the bastard since she first began working for the Obsidian Assembly, a homeless orphan left on the streets of Sundabar to fend for herself. The hate she felt for him was mutual, and if he had to leave his men under her command, it must really have chapped him to do so.

"I wouldn't worry too much. The package should have minimal guard. Apprentice knights from Sundabar I hear, while a decoy group of high and mighty mages travels on foot to Mithral Hall and then sails down river." Tam replied as he stretched back on his chair.

Eve studied him for a second before folding the letter back up and placing it in her pack. "Very well. Relay it back to the Assembly that the job should be done in less than a tenday, before they reach Silverymoon for sure." Eve began to motion her companions that it was time to leave.

"One last thing." Tam said, motioning them to stay seated. His face became very serious and he once again leaned closer. "Gerich gave me one last message for you. 'This is your last chance…' That's all he said." He stared at Eve as if trying to gauge her reaction.

Eve stared back stoically, but inside her heart jumped into her throat. As an operative for a not so reputable organization like the Obsidian Assembly, she was sometimes given jobs that she believed to be morally questionable. They were probably given to her believing that since she was drow there wouldn't be a problem. Up till now she had gotten along as best she could, hiding the facts when possible and accepting the blame for failure when it wasn't. It seemed that now all her attempts to deceive an organization that had such an intricate information network as the Assembly's was finally catching up to her.

She gave Tam a nod as they got up to leave. As she tossed a small bag of coins to him he gave her a wistful sigh and a look of regret. "You ever think about disappearing?" Tam whispered as she passed by him. Tam's face was now a forlorn mask of despair hidden behind one of poorly attempted bravado. He could have been testing her, but she didn't think so. Like many of those caught in the Assembly's net, he was bound to them, just like her. She gave him a consoling pat on the shoulder as she made her way through the tavern with her companions, believing she would never see Tamshire Ravensage again.

* * * * * * * *

The north western edge of the High Forest sang with life. Eve kept herself hidden in the foliage of the woods as she looked on at the road to Silverymoon a short distance away. Ruks men sat camped a dozen yards behind her among the trees and bushes. They kept silent enough that she didn't think anyone passing along the road would hear them.

Grom had been gone for more than three days, scouting the road ahead for their quarry. She always hated this part of a mission. The waiting… the endless circle of possible outcomes rolling about in her mind. She shook her head and cast those thoughts aside. Soon Grom would return, and likely with a full report of what it was they were dealing with. In the few years she had known him, he had never disappointed.

Kezzlit sat beside her and played with a tiny air spirit she had summoned. It danced on her palm and tickled her nose as she blew into it. The tiny elemental seemed pleased as it let out a series of whistles. Finally Kezzlit looked up at her dark companion with concern.

"We're in trouble aren't we?" Kezzlit asked. The question surprised Eve and her gaze quickly turned to regard the Halfling.

"Not we… You and Grom will be fine. I'm the one who's been deifying the Assembly's orders." She replied and returned her attention to the road.

"You think maybe we shouldn't have taken this job?" Kezzlit asked as she dismissed the spirit and got to her feet. "There are others we could work for… Other things we could do for a living."

Eve once again glanced down sorrowfully at her little friend. She wished that she had never gotten the halfling mixed up in this life, but once the Obsidian Assembly had you in its claws, there was little hope getting out alive. The only way to stay alive was to keep doing as they ordered, and she had a better chance of doing that, and staying alive, with the little warlocks help.

"Kezz…" Eve sighed, her face a mixture of anguish and shame. "Promise me that if anything happens, you won't stick around to find out what. You'll go back to your home in the forest and sing with the spirits and live your life happy and free… ok?" As Eve said this she kneeled down to her friend and took her hand in hers.

Kezzlit's eyes stared at the dirt below her feet as she tried to make sense of the conflicting thoughts rampaging in her mind. Eve knew that the halflings greatest pleasure, besides a full mug of ale, was basking herself in the forest that was once her home. She had been indirectly taken from that world by the Assembly after Eve had been tasked with assassinating her druid caretaker after he had gotten in the way of their plans. Fearing that Kezzlit would take up her masters call Eve had taken her in, and done everything in her power to protect the cheerful girl from being the next target.

A slight cough behind them kept the halfling from replying. Grom stood leaning on a nearby tree, his arms folded, and a pair of twin scimitars strapped to his back. A large black wolf almost as tall as him panted at his side.

"They're coming."

Behind him several of the men glared disgustedly at the goblin. With a contemptuous sneer one of them said something to the others quietly and was rewarded with a burst of laughter from the rest of the group. Grom either didn't notice or didn't care.

Eve gave the halfling one last appreciative smile, patted her hand and got to her feet. She scanned the road intently. "How far are they?"

"A day, maybe less. Ten strong, all of them looking like pups, just as Tam said."

Eve grinned as she took in Groms report. He had seemed totally unconcerned with the conversation in the Dragons Bounty, but true to form he had likely been taking mental notes of every word spoken. She turned and gave the goblin an appreciative nod.

Like Kezzlit, she was sorry that she had dragged the goblin into her troubles, but unlike the little halfling he seemed more than capable of taking on whatever challenges the Assembly might throw at them. Ever since she had found him on the banks of the river north of the Nether Mountains, bleeding to death and on the brink of starvation, he had been a loyal ally. More so he was a good friend who had on more than one occasion saved her life, whether from her own stupidity or an enemy. But despite the close bond they shared, he had never once spoken of how he'd ended up on the river bank, and any probing usually ended with him disappearing for hours on end.

"The one in charge looks to be little more than a child, not even a man yet. But the rest cow to him like he's a general. Well… except one…" The goblin snickered. Eve cocked an eyebrow and gazed at Grom quizzically. "A girl, barley old enough to hold a blade yet, travels with them… Seems she joined them not more than a day ago. Don't seem to me she cows to anyone. The rest seem to either avoid her, or look at her with more reverence than the boy. Judging from how uneasy she's making them, I don't think they were expecting her." Grom finished and gave her a knowing grin. "She's probably a high born."

Eve understood what he was getting at. If there was a noble born child among the group she would fetch a hefty ransom. Enough perhaps to buy her way back into the Assembly's good graces. Eve thought about it for a moment before shaking her head. "No… we go as planned. If we get the chance to grab her, fine. But under no circumstances are we going to put the main task at risk." She turned back to the road but kept her gaze on Grom. "Understood?"

Grom nodded and turned to the rest of the men. He glanced back at Eve before making his way through the camp to get some rest. "Better get the fodder ready." The men responded to him with more than a few threats and a couple objects that never hit their target.

* * * * * * * *

Eve scanned the guards camp as she made a circuit around it, the shadows of night concealing her every move. Although the moonless night made it impossible for a human to see, her drow eyes took in everything. No shadow held back her gaze as she took in every face and marked every tent in the back of her mind. Only five guards stood on the outskirts of the camp, every one of them standing next to a torch giving away their exact position. Grom had been right; these were definitely not experienced soldiers.

With finesse and grace she made her way into the camp. The shadows of the tents, as well as a few wagons, giving her ample places to hide until it was safe to move again. She would keep herself hidden for moments at a time as she took note of everything she could until she could be certain of where the package was.

The camp consisted of at least six tents and two wagons. The wagons were parked on either side of the camp while the tents were set up in a large circle, the middle of which as home to a roaring campfire. She silently skulked through the shadows, getting as close to the fire as she dared. Two of the guards sat in front of it going on about how great it would be to be back in Silverymoon again. Eve surmised that the rest were either in their tents or standing guard.

Just as she was beginning to think she might have to search each tent one by one a second pair joined the two at the fire. The first two got up quickly and made excuses the newcomers barely noticed. One was a handsome boy wearing a light grey jacket and sporting a gangly mop of red hair, the other a raven haired young girl who couldn't have been more than a year from jumping into haystacks. Eve took in the sight of the newcomers with great interest. These were definitely the two that Grom had described to her.

"So how is… what's his name… these days?" The boy asked. The girl smirked at him playfully.

"His name is Galen… and I suspect he's doing just fine. We don't see each other much these days." She said as she stared into the fire wistfully. "I've been training so hard, and he's always busy at the academy. Thinks he's going be a fully fledged wizard soon… He might do it… if he ever gets his head out of a book."

The boy nodded his head, seemingly happy with this news, though the girl was too busy staring into the fire to notice. Eve rolled her eyes as she watched the two. "_Patience…_" She thought to herself.

Finally the girl took her gaze from the fire long enough to look up at the boy with what Eve could only describe as oblivious innocence. "How is Master Megrim? I've missed him."

The boy looked up at the moonless sky sorrowfully. "He's good, all things considering. He had to shut down the courtyard. The city opened up their own military academy after he refused to sell. He hasn't gotten a single new student since and the ones he had have all gone out into the world. He and Magdah are living in a house across the street now."

The girl gave a devastated cry and nearly sprung to her feet. "That's horrible! Why did they have to move? That place was a palace…"

"That's the problem. With no gold coming in they couldn't afford the help that they used to. Megrim's certainly no innkeeper, and Magdah couldn't take care of that huge estate by herself. So they moved into a place more manageable. Megrim has more than enough saved from his military days to keep up on the courtyards taxes, so there's little chance of him losing the place, but for now it stands empty."

The girls head sunk low. Eve almost found herself feeling sorry for her. If only they would talk about something that would help her learn where the package was, she could leave these two to their firelight romance. Although she was sure the girl was still too clueless to see the boys original intentions in this conversation, the disheartening change in subject seemed to have subdued him, but if Eve knew men, it wouldn't last for long.

"So… How did you get posted as the leader of a band of motley recruits escorting an ancient artifact from the City of Splendors to the Silver Marshes?" The girl asked. Her face still belayed a hint of sadness but she was obviously trying to change the conversation to a happier subject.

"I think your father had something to do with that." The boy laughed. The girl grinned and looked at him quizzically. "He thinks I need some real experience before I can say I'm good enough to become a knight."

The girl's sudden discomfort was obvious as she looked away shamefully. The boy looked at her suspiciously and asked "And you? He finally let you out of that training hall to get a slice of the real world?"

"Not… exactly." She replied with more than a hint of trepidation. The boy's eye's narrowed as he looked at her gravely. She looked at him dubiously and sighed. "Father wasn't exactly happy… when he found out what I am. He always dreamed I'd go to the academy and become a powerful wizard… like mother was… When grandfather told him that I would not only be learning the blade, but also the divine arts… He didn't take it well and they argued for hours. But in the end grandfather got his way, as usual. But now… well let's just say I get the feeling father will have me in those halls swinging my sword at practice dummies till I'm old and gray." The girl sighed. She grasped a small silver trinket hanging from her neck and held it firm. "I want to know what it's like to face a real enemy. One that isn't holding back because of my lineage."

The boy's face became angry as he got to his feet quickly. "Those practice dummies could teach you a thing or two if you bothered to listen. You've only been training for a couple of years! I spent nearly a decade training under Megrim before he said I was ready to face the world!"

The girl got to her feet and for a second Eve thought she was going to become violent. She crouched low, making ready to use the distraction to begin a thorough search of the tents. The girl looked up at him defiantly before casting her gaze down to the soil at her feet, her fists clenched in frustration. "I'm not saying I'm ready to face an army… or anything like that. Every day I hear my instructors praise me on my innate abilities and the power of Corellon I wield. I can't tell if they mean it… or if they're just telling me what I want to hear…" The girl was on the verge of tears now.

Eve gave an exasperated sigh as she began to make her way to the back of the wagon. These two latent lovers would give her nothing, and she'd had far more than enough of the drama. She resigned herself search each tents one by one.

"That's why I when I heard my father had chosen you for this job… I thought you might be able to show me…"

"Did you even think of what could happen?!" The boy fitfully interrupted. "What if those pompous paladins really were just sucking up to you? What would happen if we had been attacked on this journey and something had happened to the precious Lady Silvermane? How would I explain that?!" The boy yelled.

Eve nearly fell over as she heard his words. Her eyes were wide as saucers and her heart seemed to skip a few beats. Lady Silvermane?! That little trollop was heir to the Silvermane lineage and the last in a long line in the vaunted Knights of Silver? Eve went over and over in her head, trying to decide if she should rush out of the camp to inform Grom. If he managed to abduct her, or worse yet, kill her during this task they were all as good as dead. The Knights of Silver would descend on the Obsidian Assembly with a righteous furry. Although the Assembly would likely have them killed beforehand, slow and painfully.

Eve shook her head. There wasn't enough time. She had no other choice but to go on with the mission and hope that none of Ruks men or Grom managed to do something that would get them all killed. Even now they were probably getting anxious and tired of waiting for her signal. She quickly made her way around the camp to the first tent. As she approached it she could still hear the children yelling at each other.

"Is that all you really care about?!" The girl exclaimed. "Your duty and protecting your career? If you're so damned determined to keep that thing safe why do you keep it in my tent?!" She pointed at the very tent Eve was about to enter. Eve looked back at them and for a heart beat the boy started back at her, his face a pure expression of surprise.

"Bloody hell!" Eve shouted as her hand blurred into her belt pouch retrieving a small vial of black liquid, and hurled it with deadly accuracy. The boy grabbed the girl to shield her, but neither of them was her target. The vial sung through the air and into the campfire, immediately exploding into a pillar of blue flames. Although the flames sparked skyward he boy never the less took a few burns to his backside. The girl screamed in surprise and fell to the ground, mingled with a loud cry that came out from all around the camp as Ruks men saw the signal.

Eve was already bounding into the tent; her eye's taking stock of everything she saw around her. A masterfully crafted bastard sword lay beside the entrance and an unfurled bedroll sat at the far end beside a full pack. Outside, fighting erupted into a mass of chaos. Eve winced as she heard the cries of several young boys echo though the night. She had told Ruks men not to take any lives, but they were Ruks men after all. Subtly and wounding were not in their list of talents. She then heard Grom's battle cry and a slight mist began to pour though the tents flaps. The mist was no doubt Kezzlits work.

Eve franticly began to look though the only pack, shifting through various odds and ends. Eve couldn't help but be puzzled. Despite being a high born lady, the girl hadn't packed a single dress or expensive gown. As she went though the last pocket and tossed a small bag of lightstones to the floor, Lady Silvermane came bounding into the confined space of the tent. She almost didn't take note of Eve as she went for the large bastard sword sitting next to the opening. Eve whirled around drawing her dagger and reluctantly readied herself to kill. Her hood came back revealing her face in the little light provided by the tents opening.

The girl quickly noticed Eve's heritage and stared at her open mouthed, barley having the sense of mind to draw her blade from its sheaf. Catching herself she stared determinedly at the drow and brought her sword up to her chest, pointing it at Eve. She gave a shrill battle cry as she charged. Eve flicked her dagger along the girl's blade, parrying it away as she used her free arm to elbow the girl in the forehead. The girl fell to the ground dropping her sword as Eve pounced upon her and placed the blade to her throat.

"Where is it?" Eve asked in as deadly a tone as she could muster. For a split second the girls eyes darted to her bedroll and Eve cursed herself for not thinking of looking there sooner. Suddenly a silver light emanated from a trinket resting atop the girl's chest. Eve looked down in surprise, enamored by the radiance. For a split second the girl seemed as surprised as Eve, but quickly took the momentary distraction to kick out with both feet, landing solidly into Eve's stomach. Her breath knocked out of her, Eve stumbled back. She fought for air as the girl got to her feet and reacquired her sword.

Eve smirked at her as she called upon her heritage and immediately the tent was shrouded in pure darkness. The girl swung her sword about vainly as Eve crouched low. While the girl was blind, Eve could see perfectly in the magical darkness and reached into the folds of the bedroll and pulled out a small drawstring bag the as long as her forearm. Still fighting for breath Eve rolled over to the other side of the tent and cut an exit. Eve heard the girl gasp in frustration as she bounded out of the camp and into the forest just as her globe of darkness faded away.

By the time she made it to the trees her lungs were finally able to fill themselves with air. As Eve took a few moments to rest she bound the bag to her belt. She could still hear the fighting and looked back toward the camp. The blue pillar had receded and the mist was all but gone. It had only been a minute or two since the attack but soon the recruits would start to regroup. Especially if their boy leader was as good as Grom thinks he is.

Eve looked around her to try and get a bearing on her location and how far away she was from their camp. The guards had luckily decided to camp not but a mile or so away, so it shouldn't take her long to get there and set off the signal to retreat. Eve turned to leave when she was startled by a loud crack of a breaking twig.

Coming up from across the road was the girl, the firelight of the camp silhouetting her as she made her way into the forest and after Eve. How had she found her so easily? No human should be able to see in the darkness of night so easily. As she approached Eve noticed the Lady had taken time to grab one of the lightstones Eve had discarded in the tent. Purple light emanated from her palm, bathing her and Eve in its radiance.

Eve hissed in frustration. "The longer you delay me, the more of your people will die."

The girl eye's narrowed angrily. "I cannot allow you to leave with that. No matter who dies, I can't let this mission fail because of my immaturity."

"How about your inexperience? It was obvious in the tent Lady Silvermane… you don't hold any hope of beating me." Eve said mockingly, hoping to unnerve the girl and send her running back to the camp. Her mocking had the opposite effect.

Lady Silvermane tossed the light stone to the ground between them and held up her sword. "You surprised me. It won't happen again." With that the trinket around her neck began to glow again. And for a moment the girl again seemed surprised. Sweat beaded out from her forehead as the girl concentrated, and charged forward once again.

Eve readied her dagger to parry and send the child down for another dirt nap. At the last second the girl ducked under Eve's blade and swiped her sword at the drow's midsection. Eve just barley had enough room to tumble out of the way. She came around expecting to pierce her dagger into the girl's backside but found nothing but air. The girl stood several feet away, her face a mask of total concentration.

It was odd. She had seen paladins in action before. They relied on their holy powers to guide they're blades more than skill. Yet this girl was behaving more like a run of the mill fighter than a holy warrior. Could it be she really wasn't fully trained yet?

Eve grinned. So this pup really wanted to test herself, or was it the same sense of duty she was only just a moment ago berating the boy for? Eve knew she didn't have time to find out. Every second of delay was another second for one of those poor idiot recruits to die. She didn't want any more of that on her conscience than necessary.

Eve launched herself at the girl, their blades clashing together and ringing though the forest around them. Eve bounded around and dodged the girls blade, attempting to throw her off balance. Yet each time she moved to strike the girls blade was there to defend. And with each hit upon the girls blade Eve felt her strength. The girl was lithe and beautiful with not an ounce of fat or even a slight hint that she had been lazy in her physical training. Her muscles were no larger than Eve's, and yet the difference in strength was staggering.

In spite of the difference in strength, Eve was faster, but not by much. She could see now that the girl's instructors hadn't quite been telling her just what she wanted to hear. She was unskilled and impatient, but what she lacked she made up for in raw power. Eve eyed the silver trinket resting between the girl's breasts and smirked.

The two of them stood back from one another in a brief moment of respite. Eve took note of the girl's condition. Whatever divine power the Lady was channeling was taking its toll on her. Sweat beaded on her brow heavily and her shirt was becoming wet and matted. Her raven hair clung to her forehead as she attempted to shake it out of her eyes.

Eve smiled and once again launched herself forward. She quickly maneuvered around the girl's blade, striking deftly at the cord holding the trinket around the girls neck. The silver light winked out as it fell to the ground, leaving them bathed solely in the violet radiance of the lightstone.

"There… that should take care of that." Eve said with a smile. The girl gave no reply and waited for Eve to make her move. Eve was more than happy to oblige. She charged in with a summersault to the ground coming up behind the girl, ready to strike a knockout blow to the back of her head. With the same amount of power the girl had before, she brought her blade around and deflected Eve's dagger, and in a deft motion Lady Silvermane kicked out with her knee landing it just below Eve's chin.

Eve fell back and tumbled to her feet, her dagger sailing though the air and into the forest. Rubbing her jaw she glared menacingly at the upstart paladin. "How?!" Eve shouted. "Without that symbol…"

Lady Silvermane smiled knowingly. "You assume much. This whole time…it wasn't reacting to me. It was reacting to you."

Eve stared back at her in bewilderment.

Her confusion was short lived as a small bolt zinged out of nowhere and stuck itself into the girl's arm. She staggered for a few moments before falling to the ground unconscious. It took Eve only a moment to recognize the projectile that protruded out of the girls bicep. "_Poison?!_" Eve thought to herself as she looked around franticly before seeing a dozen figures reveal themselves out of the darkness. One in particular caught her eye. An ugly man with a crescent moon shaped scar framing the right side of his face.

"Ruk! What in the nine hells are you doing here?" Eve asked.

"Calm down darkling. Do you have the package?" Ruk asked menacingly. He lifted his hand and each of his companions lifted their crossbows towards her. Eve scowled at him as she reached for the drawstring pouch on her belt. She untied it and tossed it to him with as much force as she could muster. He caught it easily and let out a guttural laugh.

"We have to hurry, your men are…"

"Being killed by a Silverymoon patrol as we speak… or didn't you notice?"

Eve swiveled around and stared out at the camp. Sure enough a small band of a half dozen trained soldiers were running though the camp assisting the recruits. Where had they come from?! Had they been laying in wait the entire time?

"Grom! Kezz!" Eve shouted.

A dart shot through the air past her head as she started to run toward the camp. She tripped in surprise and fell to the ground. "Now now... no need to get all flustered bout what's lost…" Ruk laughed. He looked at the fallen paladin on the ground. He reached into his belt, brought out his dagger and threw it to the ground beside Eve's feet.

"Time we finish up here. You did well… for once. Now kill her and let's be off before that patrol starts looking for other play toys."

Eve picked up the dagger and stared at the girl lying on the ground before her. Tears welled in her eyes as she brought it up. The girls face was framed innocently by the radiance of the lightstone, angelic and serine. With a sigh of helpless resignation Eve dropped the dagger to the ground and glared up at Ruk with hatred.

"Wrong answer…" Ruk grinned. The world went black as more than a few bolts pierced Eve's skin.

**Present day: 11 Hammer, 1479 DR**

**(**_**Year of the Ageless One**_**)**

Eve shook her head out of the past and stared out at the ruins of what was once the Falcons Roost. A heavy snow cascaded down through the piercing wind. Very little of the building had survived and what little was left was quickly being lost under a pile of snow. Not far from the ruins a pile of bodies lay in rows, slowing being covered in snow as Galen inspected them. The Gods knew how many more the villagers would find over the next few weeks as the wreckage was cleared away.

Megrim stood beside her, shielding the lower half of her body from the icy wind. Although her head was covered by a shadowy hood, she keenly felt winters bite. She tugged on the long braid of White hair she had protruding out of her hood, shaking the snow from it. Megrim seemed not to notice her discomfort. He seemed a statue save for the worried expression he cast towards the villagers. More than a few grave stares were cast their way. Some were cast in fear, but most seethed with hatred.

"We should not o' come here." Megrim said quietly.

"She came through here." Eve replied. "Or would you have us abandon our pursuit?"

"These people have seen more than their fair share of death lately. Our presence makes dem anxious."

Eve turned to her companion with a sour expression. "Our presence… or mine?" Megrim turned away shamefully. She was sure he had meant no offence, but simply making an observation. As Eve scanned the crowd she saw the truth of what Megrim had said. If they tarried here long, there would soon be trouble.

"The goblin don't help matters…" Megrim chuckled from beneath her hood "Grom won't cause any trouble. You've been traveling with us for nearly a year. I would think you would know him better than that by now."

"I dinna say he would. But these people are ignorant. They won't stand for those who are different for long. Not after what happened that night."

Eve nodded in agreement. "We won't be here long. As soon as Grom returns we'll move on."

Megrim nodded in return and scanned the mountains. "Not safe, traveling these peaks this time o' year."

"What would you have me do dwarf?" Eve exclaimed, nearly shouting "Our quarry does not sleep, eat or rest. With every passing moment she grows farther and farther away."

Galen apprehensively approached them, his examination of the taverns dead complete. "As far as I can gather, she isn't among the dead." Eve nodded. Why would she be? Several villagers had already stated that the demon girl had left the village shortly after the tavern collapsed. But Galen liked to be as sure of the facts as possible and so she had let him search the bodies that had been found.

"There is one oddity tho…" Galen said in bewilderment. Eve cocked an eyebrow and gave him a quizzical glare. "One of the corpses... doesn't appear to be wounded. There's blood on his shirt but not a mark on his body… well no injuries anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a tattoo on his arm… a skull and daggers kind of thing."

Eve's eyes flashed in surprised. The Obsidian Assembly had been disbanded for years. To find a survivor way our here… Eve smirked and wondered who it could be. "Show me."

They made their way over to the covered remains of the dead. Thankfully the winter cold was doing a miraculous job of keeping the smell of rotting flesh reasonably at bay. Galen uncovered them and pointed to one on the end. Eve approached it with curiosity.

Her eyes widened as she recognized Tam. He looked horrible, but death had that effect on people. Eve wondered how much of his appearance really was the cause of death, and how much had been afflicted by the passage of time.

"Ye knew im?" Megrim asked. Eve seemed not to hear him as she looked over Tams corpse with great interest. Galen was right. His shirt was covered in blood and a single rip suggested he had suffered a direct stab to the abdomen. "Galen is right. This man did not bleed to death. Curious…" Eve looked over the body from head to toe, finding in his clenched fist a small empty vial, the remains of a potion of healing. "I don't suppose any of the villagers know how he was found?"

"I can ask… I suppose." Galen said and made for the small crowd, oblivious to their contemptuous stares.

"I better go with im." Megrim said following behind the impatient wizard.

"Tam huh?" Came a voice from within the shadows of the ruins. Eve looked into the wreckage to see Grom skulking inside.

"It appears that way…" Eve replied. "What did you find?"

"She passed through the mountains in less than a month. Very impressive feat considering the condition of the passes. She avoided as many people as she could until she got here. A few dwarves met her along the road, said she was looking for the pass to Sundabar."

"They survived?"

"She never attacked them. According to the dwarves the meeting didn't take no longer than it took for her to ask and they to reply. She gave them a good amount of badly needed rations in exchange for the information."

"You actually spoke to them?" Eve asked, obviously impressed.

"They had already gone through the food she left them. I guided them here in exchange for their cooperation."

"That's what took so long… Any word on the knights?"

"No sign of them. Likely **they** were smart and decided to go around the mountains rather than risk the passes." Grom smugly replied.

"Good. That should by us some time. Any idea where she would be now?"

"Aye. Judging by how fast she made it from the other side of the mountains I'd say there's a good chance she's made it to Sundabar by now… unless she fell to her death in the pass. I doubt we could be so lucky."

Eve grimaced and stared coldly at her old friend. "Killing her is not our mission. She was our dear friend, or have you forgotten?"

Grom stared back at her, equaling her frosty glare. "Tell that to Kezzlit." He stated before reverting into the shadows.

Galen and Megrim returned. The villagers behind them seemed more subdued than before and Megrim bore a satisfied smile. "According to the team that dug out the victims he was found about a day ago next to a part of the wall that hadn't collapsed. They said it was a tight fit."

"I see." Eve said as she stared into the shadows that Grom had disappeared into. "So after the building collapsed he was trapped, managed to get a healing potion to bind his wounds… only to starve to death waiting for rescue. Poor man…" Eve looked down sorrowfully at old bard that had once put his freedom on the line for hers.

"Aye… seems to be about the gist of it." Megrim added. "Folk here said he was a bard staying in the tavern waiting for winter to pass. Said his name was Raven… something."

"Tamshire Ravensage." Eve corrected. Megrim gave her a knowing smile.

"So ye did know im?"

"Yes…" Eve said as she reached into her pack and pulled from it a large emerald. "Galen, ask the villagers if we can use their town hall for a ritual."

Galen nodded reluctantly and returned to the crowd. Megrim looked upon her suspiciously. "Your bringing im back?" Eve nodded and got to her feet to join him. "That gem was to be used in case one o' us died in this little adventure…"

"We have more."

"Aye… but only one for each o' us. Your givin im yours?"

"You're a dwarf so I would expect you to understand. I owe Tam my life, just as surely as I owe Elm the same." She said as she clutched her dear friends symbol of Corellon she wore about her neck.


	4. Chapter 3

**Angelic Solitude I**

**The Fate of Innocence**

**By J. M. Tustison**

"_The drinker of life shall taste the soul of the light, and within its succulent breast it shall find the meaning of eons."_

**- Dimble Al'gan Riel**

(**1450 DR** _The Year of Holy Thunder_)

**Chapter Three**

**The Bloodspark**

**Present day: 11 Hammer, 1479 DR**

**(**_**Year of the Ageless One**_**)**

A dim light radiated from the windows of town hall in the nameless village. Outside, the crowd that had been gathered for the better part of the day had begun to disperse as day gave way to night and the winter chill of the Nether Mountains forced them reluctantly to their homes.

Inside, dim candles circled an impressive pattern made of fine silver sand. Inside the circle lay the body of Tamshire Ravensage. He was naked from head to toe, covered only by a small loincloth and a bluish salve that had been spread across his skin. Around his chest and head, patterns of mystic force had been drawn with blood. Over his heart sat a palm sized emerald, the light of the candles causing it to cast a greenish light that danced about the room.

Outside the circle sat Eve, drow priestess of Corellon. In hushed whispers that were barely heard by her companions who stood on the outskirts of the room she prayed and chanted. She prayed to Corellon, god of spring, god of beauty, god of magic. She prayed that he be her benefactor to Kelmevor, god of the dead.

For eight hours she sat and prayed. For eight hours the dim candles burned down to their bases. As the light of dawn broke through the Nether Mountains the candles burned themselves out, leaving the large chamber in total darkness. Eve ceased her chanting and after the space of a few heartbeats came to accept that she had been unsuccessful. Her legs throbbed from sitting in the same position for so long and her neck popped as she stretched her muscles. Forlornly she gazed at the unmoving form in the middle of the circle and contemplated her next move.

Without warning the candles relit themselves in radiant blue fire. The silver pattern within their circle burst into glowing trails of sapphire. The salve spread across Tams body began to radiate as the blood lines added their own glow to the mixture. All these lights seemed to mix and converge in a mystical pattern of divine beauty before they coalesced into the emerald. The emerald exploded, shattering into dust. The fine grains danced about the circle turning it into one large column of light.

Tams body floated in the center, the blood lines still glowing through the columns radiance. Finally they winked out, leaving black lines in their wake. In a final burst of energy the column exploded sending droplets of light raining down upon the entire room as Tams body fell to the ground. The room faded into darkness, pierced only by the light of dawn streaming in through the windows, Tams eyes shot open, and he drew breath once again.

**Kythorn 16th: 1471 DR (The Year of the Plagued Lords)**

(Eight years before the massacre of Falcons Roost)

The world was darkness. Within that darkness there was no thought. No pain. No hatred. Eve began to love the darkness. Within its caress she was secure. All was right with the world and all the worries and cares she couldn't remember now seemed so inconsequential.

The world became light. Within it, from the pit of her stomach to her heart, and branching out to every extremity it could purchase, she burned.

"_Poison…_" came a thought. She tried to scream. She tried to claw. She tried to breathe fire. She tried in vain.

It lasted only a moment. And once again the world became darkness. She held onto it like a lovers arms. But it wasn't the heaven that it was before. She could burn. It would come again, and without warning. Inside she sobbed, and begged for the darkness to protect her. Whether it did not listen, or even hear, Eve could not have known.

Seconds, minutes, hours later, she did not know, but again the world became fire. She was more aware this time. The fire had found new homes within the tips of her toes and fingers. Her eyes drained themselves of tears that she was sure would sizzle down her ebony face. She could not feel them. A sudden realization hit her that she could not even move. Even her eyelids felt as though the weight of the world were upon them.

Outside the darkness teased, beyond her reach and beckoning to her with promises of sweet release. But she now knew the false promises the darkness held. She would find no respite there. The fire lashed and licked at her mind, numbing her thoughts until they were nothing but pictures and feelings. A cruel face, outlined by a crescent scar. A black wolf dancing along the lines of battle, a small figure mounted upon it armed with blades that seemed to dance about the two like ribbons flowing in the breeze. She saw an air spirit, dancing upon a diminutive palm, enticing mystifying laughter from its owner.

At last she saw light, as radiant as the sun but not uncomfortable to look at. Eve held on to this memory, for within it she found all the hope and love that came with the empty promises of the darkness. The light held in her mind as she found focus. The light coalesced and took shape. Eve saw the light fresh and vivid as it hung upon the neck of a young girl. She stood before her with raven black hair matted to her face and sword raised.

The memory didn't matter. Only the light mattered, and within it Eve found her strength. It held her and washed away the flames. She still could not move but that was a small price to pay. As she lay within the lights embrace she could almost swear she heard a voice. Singing?

* * * * * * * *

_Come little Elm, and dance with me…_

_Under the starlit moon tonight…_

_Come little Elm and fly with me…_

_Where the angels sing and play…_

_Come little Elm and lay with me…_

_Before the glory of dawn…_

As the voice sang, its tone pure and angelic, Eve found herself drawn to it. The light receded, leaving behind a vague sense of emptiness and loss. The pain of the poison had passed, and the absence of the light left her prey to the knotted muscles it left behind.

_The angel has no voice to sing…_

_Little Elm will fill his heart with light…_

_The angel has no wind for his wing…_

_Little Elm with fill his heart with light…_

_The angel now flies with the light in his song…_

_Little Elm has brought the light of dawn…._

For the first time in she knew not how long, Eve opened her eyes. The sting of the poison had left her eyes irritated and dry. It took her a few moments to blink enough moisture into them to let her focus. She found herself lying upon a foul smelling futon cushion. A moment of revulsion hit her as she contemplated what diseased parasites had made their homes in it. Once she realized that she was still too weak to even raise her hand to cover her mouth she tried her best to put it out of her mind.

She weakly moved her head to the side to scan what little of her surroundings as she could. She was in an iron cell, dimly lit by a few everburning lanterns built into the walls outside the bars. The cell was built into the middle of the room, leaving but a few feet between it and the walls. Two windows placed as high as possible on each wall left little to view of the night outside. The sound of crickets drifted through them adding ambiance to the lullaby.

Beside her sat a young girl Eve immediately recognized as Lady Silvermane. The young girl from her memory who bore the light that had helped to shield her from the pain of the poison. She seemed none the worse for wear. In fact she seemed a great deal better off than Eve found herself at the moment.

The child continued to sing in the softest and purest voice Eve had ever heard. Eve couldn't help but be awed at its innocence, like the serenity of gradually falling snow.

_There is no forest, without the sun…_

_Little Elm must bring the light…_

_No birds can sing. No squirrels can play…_

_Little Elm, please bring the light…_

_The forest can grow, the birds can sing…_

_Little Elm sleeps with the dawn…_

The poor girl sat with her legs out before her, knees bent and her head resting on the bars. Her hair looked tousled and matted, while a slight bruise graced her right cheek. No longer dressed in the fine riding clothes she wore before she was now dressed in rags that barely seemed modest. Eve had to hand it to the Obsidian Assembly. Their policy on prisoners, the rare occasions that they took them, left no room for argument on how they were to be treated. Any chance that the captive could affect their own release was neutralized. Wizards usually had it the worst, gagged and bound almost to the point of cutting off circulation.

"That's… beautiful…" Eve said hoarsely. She hadn't even realized her throat was so dry. She let out a painful wheeze as she felt it burn from her tongue to the pit of her stomach. She even managed to find the energy to raise her hand to meekly caress her throat.

Moments later a glass ring touched her lips. Eve opened her clenched eyes to see the child holding a small bottle to her mouth. Although she managed to bring her hand to the container, she was still too weak. A sense of irony and shame came to her as she realized that she was at the mercy of the kindness of this poor child, likely beaten and submitted to untold torments because of her.

The glistening water that poured down her throat was like sweet nectar. Never had anything tasted so pure and vital. She tried to grasp the bottle firmer, to increase its flow. "You mustn't drink too much. They don't give us hardly enough as it is." The girl said as she gently removed the bottle.

Eve sighed in resignation and reveled in the reprieve from the terrible burning. Lady Silverman put her palm over her forehead and grimaced. "You're doing remarkably well… You might even be able to move in a day or so. That poison…" She gave an involuntary shudder.

"Your song… What was it called?" Eve asked, changing the subject. The question seemed to take the girl by surprise. Her whole body tensed for a brief moment until her shocked expression became one of sadness.

"I don't know…" She replied. "It was a nursery song my mother used to sing to me when I was very young, before she…" A single tear threatened to trickle down her cheek before she caught herself. "It helps to calm me when I'm feeling lonely or scared." She gave Eve a weak smile as she took her own sip of water.

"Any idea where we are?" Eve asked, pointedly changing the subject.

"None…" The girl replied as she corked the bottle and set it down. "I was blindfolded the entire way here. But judging from the smells and sounds I hear during the day, I think we're camped in the woods."

Eve couldn't help but smile. If they were in the woods then it was likely Grom would be able to track them, if he was still alive. A dim memory of the caravan camp being overrun with the Knights of Silver flaunted itself in her mind. As she remembered the despair that had come over her as she witnessed Ruk's men being slaughtered a sudden thought came to her.

"How long has it been?" Eve asked apprehensively. A dangerous gleam suddenly cast itself across the girls face.

"A day or two, more or less…" She said, a hint of venom in her voice. "I was out for at least a day. That poison…" Once again she shuddered involuntarily.

"Yes… Ruk takes a lot of pride in it."

"Ruk?"

"Big man with a crescent scar on his face. It was his men who attacked your camp."

The girl nodded. "I've seen him. He comes to check on you every once in a while." She eyed Eve suspiciously. "His men?"

Eve winced at the accusation. "They were under my command. And were told not to kill anyone… but Ruks men aren't known to be very subtle. I'm sorry…"

There was silence between them for a while. Eve took the opportunity to test the extent that she could move. While she was able to flex her muscles weakly, it would be a while before she would be able to sit up. Still she continued to push herself until the effort began to make her nauseous.

"What's your name?" The girl asked. Eve blinked for a second before realizing that neither of them had ever bothered to introduce themselves. Not since she woke up or before, during the battle.

"Eve'ana Ra'Urthan… Everyone just calls me Eve." She said as she managed a weak smile.

"I am Lady Elminderelle Anya Silvermane. Everyone calls me Elm." The girl returned, smiling.

* * * * * * * *

It did not take Eve long to show some signs of recovery. By the next day she was able to sit up, if only for a few minutes. Once a day one of Ruks men would bring meager portions of food and water, and change their toilet bucket. Eve tried in vain to ask questions, but the man pointedly ignored her.

The next day she was able to stay sitting, even managed to wobble on her feet for a bit as well. Elm seemed to take little interest in the oddity of Eve's quick recovery. As though it was to be expected. It wasn't until the third night, as Elm helped Eve to drink from the water bottle that everything became clear. It seemed so silly. She was now more than strong enough to hold the bottle to her lips. Yet still Elm insisted on helping her to drink.

As she been over to hold the bottle her eyes were closed. A gentle warmth seemed to spread from her hand and into the bottle. Eve noticed a slight change in the taste and texture of the water. It was as though the very act of drinking it was replenishing her strength little by little.

Eve gently grasped Elm's arm before she could move away with the bottle.

"It's you…" She said in a hushed whisper. "Your healing me? I thought you had to have your little trinket to do that." She asked.

Elm cast a sullen glance downward while blushing slightly. "I couldn't just let you suffer." She said as she pulled her arm away. "The symbol is just a focus. With concentration, anyone trained in the divine arts can do it. But it's usually not as effective. My teachers were really impressed with my aptitude for casting without a symbol, but I prefer to have it with me. I feel… hollow without it."

Eve nodded as understanding came to her. This child was missing a sacred piece of herself, and it was Eves fault. "So the poison?" Eve asked

Elm sat on the other side of the cell and stared out the window and shook her head. "I couldn't just heal you. It would have given away what little advantage it gives me. When your healed I'll need the element of surprise to escape." She turned her head to glare at Eve. "It wasn't I who burned the poison out of you. That was Corellon."

Eve cocked an eyebrow and returned Elms glare. "What do you mean?"

"I told you before outside our camp. The star wasn't reacting to me." Elm replied as she smiled coyly. "That light was for you. Any more than that is not for me to know. If you want to know more you'll have to survive this place and seek out a priest of Corellon. I'm only a paladin, and simply an apprentice at that."

Eve stared down at her hands as she contemplated the girl's words. Corellon? Eve had never given any real thought to the gods. Corellon was an elvan god wasn't he? Sure she was an elf, but she was also drow. Everything she had ever heard of her kin said that they were devout followers of the dark goddess, Lolth. What could a god of the light elves want with her?

"I wasn't aware Humans could become paladins of an elvan god…" Eve said as she gave Elm a suspicious gaze. Elm returned with a smirk of her own.

"Believe it or not, there are quite a few humans among the order. A few dwarves too. But I am neither." She said as she pulled her hair back along the right side of her face to reveal a pointed ear. Eve stared at her cellmate quizzically. This young girl was full of surprises. She had never seen a half elf who looked so distinctly human before.

Elm gave an amused chuckle and returned to staring out the window. Silence reigned for several minutes while Eve contemplated her new predicament. Finally Elm broke the silence. "Can I ask you… why?" She asked, never taking her eyes off the window.

Eve looked up at her questioningly. Elm turned to look intently over at Eve, her face full of scorn. "Why did you attack our camp? Why did you steal the artifact? Surely you know what could happen if the wrong person gets a hold of it?!"

Eve leaned her head back against the bars, closed her eyes and sighed. She had been expecting this. Since she woke she could feel this question hiding behind the girl's lips, begging to be asked. "The attack was supposed to be a diversion if I was seen. A simple hit and run to scatter your horses and create chaos. No one was supposed to die. As for the package, I don't even know what it was."

Shock cast itself across Elms face. "You're not serious… You stole something so important without even knowing what it was?!" She stood to her feet and glared at Eve accusingly.

Eve kept her eyes closed tight. "You don't know me. I had no choice…" She whispered.

"I don't need to know you. You're a thief!" Elm accused.

Eve sighed as she finally opened her eyes to return Elms stare and replied calmly. "Whether I be a thief or no, it don't change the facts… You need me!" She ended in a shout. "Or do you really think that you'll be able to get out of here on your own? You, who have never even killed before? It's not as easy as you seem to think. At least… not the first time." Eve finished in a whisper and cast her eyes back down to her hands as she folded them on her lap.

Elm didn't back down. She stayed on her feet and glared down at Eve furiously. Eve wondered what could possibly have gotten the girl so riled up. What had been in that package?

A grunting laugh came from across the room. Both captives turned to the door in the room to see Ruk leaning on the doorframe, smirking at both of them. He seemed just as arrogant as the last time Eve had seen him. In his right hand he wielded a longsword baring the mark of the Obsidian Assembly, in his left a metal ring that bore but one key. "So sorry." He laughed sarcastically as he moved toward the cell. "Am I interrupting something?" He was followed by four of his men who surrounded the cell armed with crossbows, two pointed at each of them.

Eve cast her captor a slight smile. "Hello Ruk, come to surrender?"

"Heh… always the funny one. Your looking well. Very well. Can't say I've ever seen anyone take so much of that poison and live. And yet here you are. I'd even bet your able to stand. Your just full of surprises." As he finished his eyes settled on Elm, giving her an appraising stare.

"Maybe your poison isn't all you think it's cracked up to be." Elm replied. Ruk smirked back at her ruefully.

"Don't matter none. The master wants to meet you. He'll be here any minute." Eve held her intake of breath. Master? He wasn't working for the assembly? This could be a blessing in disguise. He motioned to the guards. "One false move and you won't live to see the outside of that cell… No drow tricks. No childish whining. Got it?" Ruk smiled as he twirled the key ring on his finger.

Eve nodded and wobbled to her feet. Elm backed away a step, her face full of concern. Eve touched her shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile. For a second the malice returned to Elms face before giving way to acceptance. Ruk slowly opened the cage and motioned for the two to step out. They did as they were told, the crossbows following them the entire way.

They were led outside. Instantly they were assaulted by the flagrant smells of cookfires and meat. The building was built partially into the ground. As they emerged they saw a half dozen tents built around it. Two other men stood outside the door, their own crossbows ready and pointed at the two captives.

"My my…" Came a sharp and melodic voice from the darkness of the forest. "So much fuss over two little girls…"

They stopped just outside the building and were forced to their knees. Ruk stiffened fearfully as he kneeled before the dark figure emerging out of the forest. The figure was draped head to toe in a shadowy shroud that whipped about him like the skin of a snake. Pale hands poked out of his sleeves, matching the chin protruding from his hood. He seemed to float to them, not walk, and as he came closer Eve noticed a blood red symbol hanging about his neck that she reluctantly recognized. It was the symbol of Asmodeous, ruler of the nine hells. His very presence sent a chill down Eve's spine and all hope she had of getting out of this alive seemed to freeze with it.

Elm seemed just as taken aback by the newcomer as Eve. She almost hissed as the shrouded figure floated toward them. Especially when he reached them and pulled back his hood to reveal a gaunt face that framed a set of blood red eyes. He smiled at them revealing a set of sharp teeth. "_A vampire_?!" Eve thought to herself. She gulped hard as her mind went through various scenarios for escape.

Ruk motioned to one of the crossbowmen as he stood up. The man immediately rushed into one of the tents and emerged with a long drawstring bag. The package Eve was meant to steel from Elms caravan. "Only half as necessary, m'lord Mordin." Ruk shakily replied. "The drow is more skilled than she looks. I thought it prudent to take no chances."

The vampire Mordin nodded and seemed to let out an insane giggle as he looked from Eve to Elm, finally setting his eyes on the bag the crossbowman carried. His eyes lit up with anticipation and impatience.

Ruk quickly grabbed the bag from the crossbowman and presented it to his master. "As promised m'lord. To easy, just as I told you." He smiled. Eve compared him to a dog eagerly waiting to be scratched by his master. It was an unsettling image she ever thought to see from the likes of Ruk.

Mordin barley seemed to notice Ruk as he tore the bag from his hands. He ripped the drawstring on the bag open to reveal a bone carved handle framed in an obsidian sheaf. He tossed the remains of the bag away and glared in awe at his new prize.

"At last… after a hundred years…" He seemed to gasp and giggle at the same time. He slid the dagger out of its sheaf to reveal a red crystalline blade. Its pommel was adorned by a sapphire that seemed to glow and pulse. Along the blade was carved an intricate language that Eve had never seen. "At last… The Bloodspark is mine again…" Mordin giggled. His insanity reeked off him in waves causing Eve to shudder.

Ruk smiled proudly as he turned to the two captives. "And so what should we do with these two mas…" He was cut off as Mordin twisted the dagger in his palm and shoved it into Ruks chest. He laughed gleefully as he twisted the dagger into Ruks flesh.

At first Ruks face was one of surprise. He stared at Eve as though she could answer some strange question that suddenly sprung to his mind. Abruptly his expression changed to one of intense pain and slowly faded to absolute panic.

The sapphire within the daggers pommel began to glow. Ruk let out a deafening scream as his eyes began to radiate the same bright bluish light. His muscles twitched and writhed until finally Mordin ripped the dagger from Ruks chest and held it up for inspection. Ruk fell to his knees, staring Eve strait in the eyes.

Within his eyes she saw nothing. Everything that he once was, was now gone as though his very soul had been ripped from his body. He slid to the ground, dead. As Eve stared at the corpse of a man she probably hated more than any other she couldn't help but think that they were all going to die… and it was all her fault.

**Present day: 12 Hammer, 1479 DR**

**(**_**Year of the Ageless One**_**)**

Tam's eyes shot open as he gasped for air. Immediately he choked and wheezed. The gods knew what clogging his lungs he sat upward and clutched his sides. A hand reached out and rubbed his back in the darkness. "Easy now. It will pass." Came a sweet feminine voice. Tam's eyes bulged as he coughed up a mountain of dust and spit it into a bucket he could barely make out in front of him. As he settled down and lay back in a rather comfortable bed he saw the bucket taken away and tossed to the shadows of the room. The woman moved away from the bed and sat in a chair in the darkest corner of the room.

Slowly he caught his breath and took in his surroundings. It was a small room lightly bathed in moonlight that poured in from the window behind him. A wooden dresser adorned the right wall, a wash basin sitting beside it. The oaken door at the far end of the room seemed old and worn. Random paintings of various people as well as hideously tacky ornaments decorated the wall. Obviously not an inn room. No proprietor would ever be so stupid as to assault his guests with such ugly decor.

Finally he rested his gaze on the dark figure waiting patiently in the corner. She seemed to take humor in his interest. He could almost feel her coy smile. "The gods did not part with your soul easily… or cheaply, Tamshire Ravensage."

For a brief moment he wondered what the devil the woman was going on about. Then suddenly a flood of memories came back to him. A packed tavern, all waiting to hear his songs and tales. A girl, white as new fallen snow and more deadly than an angry demon. Death, destruction, and a lucky bottle of merlot. All these things seemed to converge in Tams head as they led to the roof of the inn falling on his head.

He remembered waking a few minutes later to find himself trapped in the darkness under the wreckage. His stomach had howled with pain from the insane girls stab wound. Painfully he had managed to get a potion of healing out of his pack to stem the bleeding.

After that came the waiting. Surly someone would have searched the wreckage for survivors. Stupid back country louts. Tam shivered as he remembered the last three days of agonizing hunger and thirst.

Wait… What did she say? The gods didn't part…? No, that couldn't be. Surely the stupid villagers must have gotten him out just in time. If he had died surly he would remember something of the great beyond. Otherwise what was the point?

Abruptly the woman in the darkness chuckled. Tam cocked an eyebrow at her. "Have I said something funny, m'lady?" The woman got up and slowly made her way to the foot of his bed. Tam silently cursed the moonlight as he realized it was keeping his eyes from completely adjusting to the darkness.

"Not said, no. In my short time as a priestess of Corellon I've only seen four others brought back from the great beyond. And so far each of them, you included, has had the exact same reaction when told that they'd died. I meant no offence." Her voice was ripe with humor and Tam found himself wondering where in the hells he had heard it before.

Tam let out a relaxing sigh as he stared at the ceiling. He died. It was a tough concept to wrap his head around. He, the great Tamshire Ravensage… had died not from angry audience or an insane girl with social issues…but of hunger. How embarrassing.

Finally he let out a chuckle and sat back up. "And who might you be, oh great priestess of Corellon? One of my many adoring fans perhaps? I have you to know I give much better than just an autograph to those who bring me back from the dead. And it would be such a shame to let such a fine bed go to waste." He said giving her his most inviting smile.

She returned his chuckle as she strolled over to the lamp atop his bed table. Tam began to wonder whether he really was alive or just inconceivably lucky as she turned it alight. One look at her ebony face, shadowed by the hood of her cloak but still unmistakable, turned his thoughts in the opposite direction.

He stared at her knowing smile for a few moments and turned back to face the room. His hand unconsciously rose to his chin as he contemplated his reaction. After several false starts he settled for a mild curse.

"Eve'ana… I thought you were adventuring all over Faerûn with the Silver Maiden… or dead." Tam finally said as he slumped himself over his knees. Eve had taken the moment of awkward silence to return to her seat.

"I thought you were alive… and in Calimshan last I'd heard." She replied tensely, obviously dodging his question.

"Hmph… Turns out the genasi are not very open to stories that paint them in an unfavorable light. Who knew?" He chuckled as he closed his eyes and leaned back against the headboard. "And you? How is the great Lady Silvermane these days? I heard about that nasty business with the Cult of Asmodeous. But that was what? Two years ago? A long time to go without word from the heroes of the land."

He looked up after she didn't reply. The strain she had had in her voice was now echoed in her eyes. Finally she returned his stare. "So... tell me about that night… in the Falcons Roost. Tell me about Winter." She asked.

Tam closed his eyes and shuddered. "Her name is Winter? How… fitting. Not much to tell really. A few people managed to get out; surely at least one of them told you what transpired. A psychotic young girl, probably about fifteen to sixteen years old, but who can honestly say, came in to the bar during my act and sat down. Next thing I know the walls are being repainted in maroon and the roof is falling on my head."

Eve nodded her head slowly before asking "Did she say or do anything strange? Besides murdering anyone foolish enough to get close?"

Tam shook his head. "Not a single word. Except…"

Eve cocked an eyebrow. "Well… she sang… most frightening thing I've ever seen. Here this girls is, slicing open anyone she can reach with not so much as a twitch of emotion, and right out of the blue she starts singing."

Eve stared at him disbelieving. "You're not serious…"

Tam grunted. "As serious as a troll and fire. Some strange lullaby. Don't quite remember the words, was pissin myself at the time. Anyway she finished her tune and then stuck her sword through me." Tam grunted at the end, rubbing his midsection.

"And yet you survived." Eve asked suspiciously.

"Not sure why… Told the wench I'd see her in hell and she got all flustered. Only time I saw her register any kind of emotion. Scared me almost as much as her song. Anyway, I used that as my chance to end things. I shot my dagger at a support rope and made for a window. Damned backwater craftsmanship. Should be a law against making windows so high."

Eve shook her head at his poor attempt at humor. "That song you mentioned. Are you sure you don't remember any of the words?" She asked hopefully.

"Not really. Had the word elm in it a lot. Must have been a druid song." He replied, noting her reaction. She seemed happy for some reason, almost on the verge of tears. "_Come little Elm, and dance with me. Under the starlit moon tonight_…" She sang softly. Tam felt the hairs on the back of his head stand on end.

"Yes… That's it… How did you?" He tensely asked. He barely heard her whispered reply.

"She's still in there… somewhere…"

A few moments past before one of them spoke again. "So now that I've shared my harrowing experience, how about returning the favor? What was that thing? And don't tell me it was a vampire or lich." Tam asked as he got up to search for his clothes. He stretched out his arms and legs and was marveled to find that he was nearly fully recuperated. A slight twinge in his muscles gave hint to greater soreness to come, but as he understood it that was to be expected. He'd spoken to others that were brought back to life after a premature end. Each of them had made a perfect recovery after only a day or two.

"To be honest we're not sure what she is. Galen has been all over the library in Crystalholt. There's no precedent to be found to explain her power or actions. She doesn't seem to be looking for anything. She just wanders from place to place." She said slowly as though still lost in thought.

"So she's just killing at random?" Tam asked. Eve shook her head.

"I don't think it's intentional. In every instance where she has left a pile of bodies there has been evidence that she might have been provoked in some way. Do you remember what she was doing in the tavern just before everything started? Did it seem she was there for a fight."

Tam stopped ruffling through the drawers in the dresser long enough to ponder the question. "No… She sat in the back I think. As far away from the crowd as she could get. Hmmm…"

"What?"

"There was a man… backward country lout started up a game of dice right in the middle of my "Legend of Icewind Dale". He got up in the middle of the fifth verse and sat with her… poor bastard must not have known when to keep his trap shut." Tam almost chuckled. The lout's behavior had upset him, but not enough to wish the poor bumkin dead. "So why did she kill every other destitute sop there?"

Eve shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know… I think maybe she's cursed somehow. Maybe once she gets going she can't stop until there's no one left. Witnesses say that after the tavern collapsed she climbed out of the wreckage and simply walked out of town without hurting a soul.

Finally Tam found his pack stuffed under the bed. With an exasperated sigh he pulled it out and swung it over the bed. He quickly pulled out a spare change of clothes and began to dress. "So what's your stake in all this? The Silver Maiden herself hunting this thing? I'd love to get a chance to meet her if I'm going to compose this ballad." He asked, taking great care to judge her reaction. Something wasn't quite right here. He could easily tell that Eve was hiding something; he just couldn't put his finger on what.

"Lady Silvermane… is dead." She said flatly as she looked away. Tam stopped buttoning his shirt and stared guiltily at the floor.

"I'm sorry." He said weakly. "Winter?"

Eve nodded her head solemnly. "About two years ago. I've been chasing her ever since."

Tam finished dressing and sat on the bed, his arms folded. "There was a group of adventurers in the tavern that night. Not the most powerful bunch I've ever seen but they weren't slouches either. Elf put a sword right through the girl. Didn't even slow her down. In fact I think it was part of the plan. She slew them all without so much as breaking a sweat."

As he finished he looked over at Eve. She was still facing the wall, trying not to look at him. "This is what your hunting. No doubt you're a skilled priestess now. I would love to hear how in the nine hells that happened, but you would have be powerful to bring me back from the dead." Tam laughed. "And I assume Grom and Kezzlit are still with you. You mentioned Galen, a wizard if he has access to Crystalholt. Grom alone makes you a more powerful group than the poor bastards in the inn… but I can't help but wonder if it will be enough… How can you kill such a creature?"

Eve stood up and approached the dresser. As she moved she reached into her coat and brought out a bone hilted dagger. In one deft swing she launched it into the top of the dresser, embedding the tip into the wood. Its blade seemed to be made of blood red crystal with a pommel made from a bright blue sapphire.

"Its name… is Bloodspark."

* * * * * * * *

Grom stared out from the ally as he watched Galen prepare the horses inside the stable. The chilled wind gave a hint of a snowstorm possibly on the rise. Leaving today was a bad idea, but if it began to snow there was no telling how long they would be trapped here. And given the disposition of the villagers, staying could prove more dangerous than braving the mountain paths.

"And your sure she's headed to Sundabar?" Perciel asked. Grom's only reply was a stern glance. Perciel sat on the ground against a mighty silver gryphon as it slept on a mound of hay. Her strawberry blonde hair spilling down her backside framing a pixyish face as her pointed elvan years sparkled with gems. A bluish hued mithral chainmail bearing the mark of the Knights of Silver adorned her body while suspicious eyes, solid orbs of green, returned his glare.

She nodded and gave him a concerned smile. "And what do you think Eve'ana will say when she learns of this? I was under the impression that she wanted to avenge Lady Elm."

Grom snorted in response. "Eve is too… distracted to do what needs to be done, and I cannot leave her side. And so I must leave it to you. I warn you, do not underestimate Winter."

He gave a nod as Perciel woke the gryphon and mounted it. "We'll wait till you arrive if we find her before you, unless it threatens the lives of others to do so. You've earned that much. I only hope Eve'ana will forgive you."

Grom shook his head and grunted. "I swore a blood oath to protect her, even if I must protect her from herself. Besides… this is more than just protecting Eve…" He clutched the wedding band he had tied about his neck, a solid orb containing the soul of a tiny air elemental. "This is vengeance…"


End file.
